


the smoke in your eyes

by woodchoc_magnum



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arson, Eddie Diaz Takes Care of Evan "Buck" Buckley, Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mystery, Protective Athena Grant, Protective Bobby Nash, Protective Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Sex, Suspense, Thriller, Whump, Worried Eddie Diaz, Worried Evan "Buck" Buckley, Worried Firehouse 118 Crew (9-1-1 TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 53,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28357833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodchoc_magnum/pseuds/woodchoc_magnum
Summary: There's an arsonist on the loose in LA, and Buck and Eddie unwittingly find themselves directly in the crosshairs.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 449
Kudos: 525





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **General Warning**
> 
> This is my attempt at writing a mystery, thriller-style fic, so there are some scenes which might be upsetting. I'm not going to do a trigger warning for each chapter, so this is a general trigger warning for the whole fic - if you are not keen on Buck and Eddie being in danger, this is not the fic for you.
> 
> There are no graphic descriptions of violence towards Buck or Eddie, but they do suffer injuries throughout the fic and are both in dangerous scenarios. Nobody is raped/tortured/mutilated/murdered or anything like that, and there is (as always with my fics) a happy ending. There is also a bit of sexy stuff. 😉
> 
> This is not a happy, lovey-dovey fic so if you find topics like this sensitive, please proceed at your own risk.
> 
> **
> 
> If you're cool with all that, please strap in! This fic is eight chapters and is complete, and I will be posting a new chapter every day.
> 
> Enjoy!

__

Beautiful cover art by [Ronordmann](https://ronordmann.tumblr.com/) ❤

* * *

_It was an experiment, at first._

_Light some fires and see if his unit would be the one to respond to them. Always in grassland, away from people. Always at night, or in the late afternoon. He'd set up a slow ignition, drive to work and be changed before the alarm sounded._

_Putting out the fire was the thrill. Seeing the flames soaring into the night sky; the acrid smell of the smoke – feeling like a hero as he brandished a fire hose – it was what he'd always wanted, from the time he was a child. He'd only ever wanted to be a firefighter, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to be on TV, like that guy with the birthmark from the 118. He wanted to swing from buildings and rescue people, but luck never went his way. That role always went to someone else._

_So he had to create his own opportunities for greatness, but setting fires in fields wasn't enough. There was no one to save; nothing heroic to do._

_He would need to create a new opportunity. Raise the stakes, just a bit. Just enough for greatness._

_There was a house not too far from his parents' house – a foster home, with a rotating roster of kids. The house had long been the subject of whispered conversations between neighbours, concerned about the kids – something wasn't right._

_Those kids – those poor fucking kids – were treated like shit by the foster parents, and everyone on the block knew it. His mother told him how she was sure they weren't being fed properly. He'd personally seen the oldest girl being screamed at by her foster mother and seen the two youngest ones wandering around freely as though nobody was looking after them. It was a busy street; they could've been killed._

_So, he decided to fix it. Take a risk, all in the name of greatness._

* * *

It had been the longest, driest, hottest summer in Los Angeles that Buck could remember.

Granted, he'd only lived in the city for just over five years, but _everyone_ was feeling it. Long days turned into even longer nights, with no reprieve from the heat. There were wildfires to the north and south, haze dulling the skies and filling the city with the acrid smell of smoke.

Their team hadn't been called up to fight the fires, much to his relief, and it was still business as usual for the 118. There had been a spate of unusual and suspicious fires around the city, possibly the work of an arsonist, but police were still investigating. The team were all interested in the outcome, having been first responders to two of the blazes, but according to Bobby, via Athena, the police had no real leads.

Buck was spending more time with Bobby than usual – they'd had a frank conversation about his future one night while everyone else was asleep, and Bobby felt that it was time for him to start taking on more responsibility.

It was a good plan in theory, but he was distracted – Eddie and Christopher were taking up all his time outside of work, and days off were spent at the beach or the pool; anything to cool off and make the summer a little more bearable. Finally having closure with Abby had opened his eyes to new possibilities, and he'd begun to see Eddie in a new light - and found that Eddie was looking right back at him.

And then one night, while Christopher was away at camp, a tentative kiss had turned into something _more_ , and Eddie had spent almost a week at the loft with Buck, free of responsibilities for the first time in a long time. Buck had worried that things would cool down upon Christopher's return, or that their friendship would be strained or awkward, but sleeping together had only brought them closer.

They hadn't defined it; it was still just sex… but… he was hyper-aware of Eddie – every look, every touch, the way Eddie smiled at him. Hen and Chimney liked to tease them and say that they were inseparable, but they were in the dark. Everyone was. Whatever he and Eddie _had_ , it was theirs and theirs alone.

~~

It was just sex, Eddie kept telling himself. That was all.

Sure, it was the greatest sex of his life, and when they were apart, he was only thinking about them together again, but… it was just sex. Friends-with-benefits.

And sure, he'd done things he'd never considered before – like sleeping with a man, because holy shit, he'd never thought about doing that ever, and it had blown his freaking mind – but that didn't change anything. They were friends who had sex after work, sometimes before work, on the weekend, and once in the showers _at_ work. Buck was still Buck, his best friend, and they still did everything they'd ever done before, just… with an extra added bonus of sex.

It changed nothing. He felt the same way about Buck that he always had; nothing more. Or so he kept telling himself, whilst finding every opportunity for them to have some alone time together.

They sometimes lay in bed and talked until they fell asleep, and he found it easy to open up to Buck when all the lights were out, and they were in a post-sex afterglow. He had no idea what the future held – wasn't ready for that conversation, not at all – but for now, it was good. They were fucking great together; he knew that for certain.

The alarms began to blare at the station, startling him out of his reverie. He followed Buck down the stairs and pulled his gear on before climbing into the truck. They only had an hour left of their shift, and with Christopher spending the night at his Abuela's, Eddie was itching to get to Buck's loft for some tension relief.

It had to be one of the hottest nights of the year – without question, undoubtedly. Eddie was already sweating as they leapt out of the truck and followed Buck to the curb, taking in the burning house for the first time. A dry wind was blowing from the east, stirring up dust and dirt and causing smoke from the wildfires to linger over the city.

Bobby ordered them inside – one of the evacuees had reported that there were still children upstairs, so he and Buck headed in through the smoky front door and up the stairs to the right. The fire was out of control in the back part of the house, and smoke had filled the second storey. He was thankful they each had their respirators on as they began systematically checking rooms. Eddie came across a young boy in the first bedroom, who peered out from under the bed when he called out.

"Hey buddy," he said, dropping to his knees. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

"I'm scared," the little boy whimpered.

"I know, but we're both going to be brave together, okay? Come with me." Eddie helped him out from under the bed and swung him up into his arms, radioing for back-up. "Cap, I've found one child in an upstairs bedroom."

"Diaz, stay where you are – Rogers and Brighton are heading up to provide assistance."

"Copy that," Eddie said into his radio, stepping out into the smoky hall. Buck was leading two young girls out of the next bedroom, one in his arms, the taller one holding his hand. "Cap, we've found two more. How many kids are in this house?"

Bobby radioed back, "It's a foster house. There are still two unaccounted for."

"Here," someone called from behind them, and Eddie turned to find their back-up hurrying towards them. "We'll get them out; you keep searching."

Eddie nodded, passing the boy across. Buck did the same with his two, and they continued down the hallway together. The next room they came across was the bathroom, and after that, the master bedroom. Both were empty. Buck turned to Eddie, and then looked up. "An attic bedroom?" he asked. "Where's the stairs?"

Eddie radioed Bobby. "Cap, is there an attic bedroom?"

The response came through less than a minute later. "Eddie, there is an attic bedroom, the entryway is through a closet in the hallway."

"Here!" Buck called, throwing open the closet doors and yanking down on a ladder. Eddie followed him up the stairs and into the bedroom of a girl a little older than Christopher, who was sitting on the end of the bed, holding a toddler with messy blonde pigtails on her lap, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Are guys okay?" Buck asked, hurrying over to them. "Let's get you out."

The older girl shook her head. "They're going to blame me," she said dully. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Confused, Eddie exchanged a look with Buck, and then asked, "What's your name? I'm Eddie, and this is Buck. We just want to get you two to safety."

"So he can keep doing it," she replied, not meeting their eyes. "I'd rather die."

"Is this your sister?" Buck asked her, moving in a little closer. "Are you guys sisters?"

"No. I just look out for her." The girl wiped her nose with her arm and coughed violently. Smoke was filling the attic, slowly but surely.

Eddie took a step closer. "If you guys are in danger here, there are people who can help," he said. "Child Services."

She shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "They put locks on the fridge."

Eddie glanced at Buck again, who said, "Listen – I know you're scared, but there are people who can help. We have a friend who is a police officer, and she will take you seriously. Please come with us, all right?"

The girl looked up at them, distraught, and gave a nod. The toddler began to cry, but Eddie swooped in and picked her up, and let Buck lead the girl out of the attic.

They were about to descend to the second storey when his radio began to blare. "Buck, Eddie, your exit is cut," Bobby said. "If you're still in the attic, you need to get out via the roof."

"Copy that," he replied, gesturing for Buck to turn around. "We're going out a window."

Buck smashed the window with his axe, kicking out the pieces of glass. He went out onto the roof first and helped the girl through, and then took the toddler from Eddie. Eddie climbed out last, balancing in the wind, and held onto the girl as they made their way to where the ladder was waiting for them. From there it was the simple matter of guiding the kids along until they were out of harm's way, before handing them off to Hen and Chimney.

Eddie took Bobby aside and filled him in on what the girl had said, and Bobby searched the onlookers watching the blaze until his eyes settled on the foster parents. "Okay, I'll call Athena and ask her to bring a representative from Child Services," he said to Eddie, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You take a rest."

Eddie went to Buck's side – he was over near the ambulance, sitting on the edge with two kids balanced on either knee, and the young girl standing beside him, still crying. Eddie watched as he quietly spoke to her, and she nodded tearfully before giving him an awkward hug. Buck met his eyes over her shoulder and gave him a small, sad smile.

Eddie smiled back. There was a small tug at his coat, and he looked down to find the small boy he'd rescued gazing up at him shyly. "Hey, kiddo," he said, suddenly wanting nothing more than to be with _his kid_. "Let's get you some water."

* * *

_They were too late._

_They arrived as back-up just as the two hotshots from the 118 broke out through an attic window with two kids, and descended the ladder to safety._

_That should've been him. The media was there, filming and taking pictures – those two assholes would be on television. Why couldn't that ever happen for him? The heroic firefighters from the 118, descending a ladder with children in their arms, and he was five goddamn minutes too late!_

_He would just have to try again._

_His time for glory was coming._

* * *

Buck beat him to the loft by five minutes, but he was waiting in the kitchen for Eddie to arrive, already ordering them dinner. They'd showered at the station, and it was late, which meant they'd definitely be eating pizza – and most likely for breakfast, as well.

Eddie threw his bag on the table, took off his jacket and kicked off his shoes, slotting in between Buck's thighs as he placed their order. Buck slipped an arm around his shoulders, concentrating on his phone, but grinned when Eddie nosed at his neck.

"Pepperoni," he said. "The spicy one."

"Yep."

"Got it." Buck placed the order. "Should be here in half an hour."

"Great." Eddie pressed a hot, open kiss to the nape of his neck, and grinned when Buck shivered all over. "Miss me?"

"You know I did," Buck replied in a low voice, cupping Eddie's face with both hands and leaning in to kiss him hungrily.

Eddie had tried to deny the heat between them for almost as long as they'd known each other but giving into it was the sweetest possible solution. Buck had been all for it – in fact, Eddie was surprised at just how eager he was; he'd been expecting a polite no. More than anything, it was nice to be intimate with someone again; to share a bed, kiss, touch… he'd been alone a long time.

Buck tasted sweet; his lips were soft and a few flicks of his tongue could drive Eddie wild. He pressed up against him insistently, wanting more, and Buck hummed against his lips.

It was just sex; most definitely… but Eddie had always had a hard time separating sex and feelings. And it was _Buck_ – not some random hook-up. His best friend; Christopher's best friend… they couldn't lost him. What if something went wrong?

With that troubling thought Eddie broke away, lowering his head. Buck touched his shoulders lightly and murmured, "You okay?"

He nodded, pursing his lips. "Yeah, just… yeah, I'm okay." He was a coward, that's what he was. Hiding behind a wall of 'just sex' and 'friends-with-benefits' to hide the fact that he was head over heels for the guy.

Buck smiled at him, brushed a final kiss to his lips, smoothed the frown away from his brow and slipped off the stool. "Let's get you a beer."

Eddie watched him round the counter and open the fridge, pulling out a couple of bottles. He was still in his LAFD t-shirt which clung nicely to his muscles, and he slid the bottle across the counter to Eddie. "Thanks," Eddie murmured, uncapping the lid. "I need this."

"Yeah, it was a pretty rough last call." Buck leaned against the sink, tilting his head back as he drank. "Glad we were able to get those kids out. Hopefully they'll be okay."

Almost without thinking, Eddie said, "I sometimes worry what would happen to Chris if I wasn't here."

Buck tilted his head to the side with concern. "What do you mean?"

"Well… I'm the only parent he's got, and… you know what my family is like," he said uncomfortably. "If something happens to me on the job, I… it would be bad, for him."

"Nothing's going to happen to you," Buck replied. "I'm your partner. I won't let anything happen to you."

"You may not have that choice," he pointed out. "We could be caught up in something together."

"I'll get you out."

"Buck…"

He shrugged. "You knew what you were getting when you threw in with me," he replied, taking another swig of beer. "Christopher's not growing up without you. No way."

"That's not really your decision to make though, is it? Unless I missed something and you're actually God."

Buck smirked at him. "I don't know, you do have a habit of screaming ' _oh god, oh god_ ' when we're in bed, so…"

He went red, shaking his head. "Shut up."

"You shut up." Buck gave him a curious look. "Why are you worrying about this?"

He sighed. "That arsonist has me freaked out; that fire today… those kids, man. I just… keep thinking about those kids."

Buck nodded slowly. "Maybe we'll ask Bobby to follow up about them, so you can get some closure," he suggested. "As for the arsonist… I don't know, they seem kind of inept to me. It's just been a bunch of grass fires."

"Building up to something," Eddie suggested. "Perfecting it."

"Perfecting it? They pour an accelerant on the ground and throw a match," Buck said dismissively. "The police will catch them in no time, guaranteed."

"So much confidence," Eddie commented. "You know something I don't?"

Buck shook his head. "Just what Chim was saying, about how they're obviously an amateur. I really think the police will figure it out soon enough. It's probably kids."

"Well, Detective Buckley, we'll have to put you on the case," Eddie teased.

Buck grinned at him. "I always thought I'd be good at it."

"Really? You? You still don't understand how that bank heist went down."

Buck's smile turned into a grimace. "But like… the thing I don't understand—"

"We're not going over this again," Eddie interrupted him, shaking his head affectionately. "Come on, it was over a year ago. You read articles about it and you still don't get it?"

"It just seemed like they went to a lot of trouble," Buck mumbled into the neck of his beer. "Is all I'm saying."

"They did, for money," Eddie stressed, rounding the island to press in close against Buck. "That's all you need to know. You're too sweet, Buck."

"Sweet?" Buck's eyebrows lifted. "Me? I'm not sweet; I'm a… um… rebel."

Eddie tried to suppress a grin. "A rebel."

"Yeah. You know me," Buck boasted, sliding one arm around Eddie's shoulders. "I break hearts."

"Good to know. I won't get too attached."

"Don't say that," Buck said quickly, backing down in an instant. "Eddie, I never said I'd break your heart."

"We don't even… know what we are," he replied awkwardly. "We don't have to have that conversation tonight."

Buck set his bottle down on the bench, chewing on his lower lip. "But you want to have that conversation?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

They gave each other a long look. Buck said quietly, "I don't want to stop."

"No."

"Good. Then let's keep going." Buck leaned in and kissed him, lingering a little longer than normal.

Sometimes Eddie had to exercise restraint; hide those parts of himself that wanted to lavish Buck with affection and tenderness. He wanted intimacy but wasn't sure if their current arrangement allowed for it… he wanted to be more to Buck than just the guy who was sharing his bed.

Something was holding him back – whether it was a fear of losing their friendship, or maybe how it would affect their jobs, or even what his family would say, he wasn't sure. He was right on the ledge but couldn't bring himself to jump in.

Their pizza arrived, and they ate in front of the TV, before retiring upstairs to shower before falling into bed together. The first few times had been frantic; the sex frenzied, but now… now Eddie took delight in mapping Buck's body, pressing his lips to every mole and freckle, touching every scar. Sometimes he'd glance up and find Buck gazing at him with total and complete adoration and he'd think how right this was; them together – how he was sure he'd never want anything else.

They really needed to have a conversation, but… it could wait.

~

Bobby gave them the rundown on the latest from the arsonist the next evening at work. It was a Friday night, typically the worst night to be a firefighter. Eddie was standing with Buck in the kitchen, listening as Bobby addressed the entire station.

"There was another suspicious fire earlier today in Crenshaw, this time to an abandoned house used mostly by itinerants, but at this stage they're not sure if it was the work of the arsonist," he announced. "The police don't have any solid leads at this point – they're not sure how many fires they can attribute to whoever this person is, but what they do know is that the arsonist is building up their confidence, and they're happening more frequently. There may very well be some significant events in our future, and we're going to make sure that we have everything we need to be able to respond appropriately; that our trucks are fully stocked and ready to go, and that our equipment is in excellent condition. That's priority number one."

Everyone nodded and murmured their assent.

Bobby glanced at his clipboard, and then said, "And about the house fire we attended yesterday evening – they're still trying to determine whether the fire was deliberately lit. Regardless, you will all be relieved to know that the children have been taken into protection and the foster parents are likely facing numerous charges." He nodded at them. "That's all I have. Let's get to work."

Everyone dispersed, and Eddie found himself in the kitchen with Buck, Hen, Chimney and Bobby, who waited until the group was alone before saying in a low voice, "Athena tells me they're pretty sure it was arson, but… is it the same person who has been lighting the fires around town, or was it one of the kids trying to escape their horrible situation? They're still investigating."

"The kids have been taken away from those foster parents permanently, right," Eddie said – just wanting the confirmation.

Bobby nodded. "Yes. Definitely. Criminal charges are pending."

"Good." He exchanged a satisfied look with Buck.

"So what does Athena say about the arsonist?" Hen asked curiously.

Bobby shrugged. "They don't know much. They don't think it's the work of teenagers, because all the fires have been too far apart. They don't have any real leads – no eyewitnesses or CCTV footage. She's pretty confident the person will slip up at some point, but until then, unfortunately we have to deal with it."

"I mean, ultimately, whoever is doing it is just taking us away from helping other people," Chimney pointed out. "Draining city resources."

"Exactly," Hen said, rolling her eyes at Chimney. "You tell 'em."

"Yeah, I will tell 'em," he muttered. "I'll give them a stern talking-to."

"Ooh, they're scared," Buck teased.

Chimney swatted Buck's shoulder, and when Buck puffed out his chest in retaliation, they were suddenly in a stand-off, glaring at each other playfully.

"All right, all right," Bobby said wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Come on. I did overhear something else, but… I'm hoping it's not true."

Buck and Chimney settled down, nudging each other with their elbows – a sign that given the opportunity, there would be some kind of battle later on in the evening, whether via video game, the pinball machine or pool.

"What's that?" Hen asked curiously.

Bobby double-checked to make sure they were alone and said in a low voice, "One of the theories is that it's a firefighter."

"No way," Buck objected, glancing over at him. "You think?"

"No firefighter would be dumb enough to deliberately set fires during wildfire season," Eddie said dryly.

"It's happened before," Chimney said with a shrug, exchanging a look with Hen. "Not here, but it's definitely happened. It's the hero-complex thing, right?"

"Guy starts a fire in order to put out the fire and be seen as the hero," Hen replied. "But if that's the case, then… it's a huge suspect pool, because the same station doesn't respond to every single fire. It's the luck of the draw. I mean, we'd all be suspects as well, right?"

They all eyed each other, and then Buck pointed to Chimney and said, "It was him."

Chimney made a move to grab him as the alarms began to sound, starling them all. They made for the stairs, Eddie trailing behind Buck, his heart sinking when Bobby called out what they were responding to.

An apartment building fire in the city. The perfect start to what was sure to be an exhausting night.

~~

The six-storey brick apartment building that was well ablaze by the time they arrived. Buck paused beside Eddie, gazing up at the building, inwardly filled with dread, which he couldn't quite explain. They'd responded to apartment fires before, multiple times, but he had a bad feeling about this one.

Station 122 was responding as well, and as they suited up, ready to enter the building, Bobby and Captain Anderson addressed them all.

"We're sending you in teams of four," Bobby announced. "Two pairs from each unit, working together. You're going to clear the building as efficiently as you can and stay in constant contact via radio. Each group will sweep two floors, and once you've completed your floor, you exit down the fire stairs and back out onto the street with us."

Buck and Eddie were paired with two guys from the 122 they'd only ever met in passing – Eric Murphy and Cameron Taylor. They bumped fists with them briefly and headed into the building, climbing the stairs to the top. The smoke was thick; and fire was creeping along the ceiling and walls on the sixth floor. They began at the southern end, checking each apartment, busting down doors, searching for anyone left behind.

It was Buck who heard the screaming from the last apartment on the floor. Eddie trained a fire extinguisher on the door before Buck levered it open with his crowbar. The door opened to reveal two terrified children – the girl looked to be about ten, the boy only four or five. They made a move as if to run out, but Buck held his hands up and said, "Wait guys, wait," before undoing his coat. He picked up the little girl, shielding her with his coat, and Cameron picked up the little boy, who clung to him desperately.

"We can't find our mom," the girl sobbed, and coughed violently. "She put us in the bathroom, and we don't know where she went!"

"You guys go," Eric said, gesturing to the door. "Diaz and I will do a sweep of the apartment and meet you downstairs."

Buck hesitated, his eyes trained on Eddie, but when Eddie nodded at him, he relented. "Okay," he agreed. "Eddie, keep in touch."

"I will," Eddie promised, and disappeared into the apartment.

Buck and Cameron made their way to the stairs, Buck calling through to Bobby on his radio as he descended, letting him know that they had two kids and that Eddie and Eric were still inside. They were only a flight from the bottom when the building made a distinct cracking sound and began to shake. "Go, go!" Cameron shouted at Buck, practically shoving him down the stairs. "Go!"

But Buck was turning around, handing over the girl, shaking his head desperately. "I have to go back for Eddie!"

"The whole building could collapse!" Cameron argued, trying to physically drag him down the stairs. "You can't go back in there! It's suicide!"

Buck was on a mission and pulled out of his grasp easily. "Get the kids out!" he retorted, turning on his heel and heading back up the stairs. He called Bobby on his radio. "Cap, there's been a collapse; I'm going back in for Eddie."

Bobby's response was immediate. "Buck, no! I'm ordering you to evacuate, do you understand? Evacuate the building right now!"

Panting as he ascended the stairs, Buck replied with, "Too late, Cap. I'll call you when I find him."

"Buck!" Bobby shouted into the radio, but Buck was already another flight up, sweat pouring down his face.

He had to get to Eddie; had to find Eddie. He could worry about the rest later, but for now, _he had to find Eddie._

~~

Something terrible had happened… something terrible _was_ happening.

Eddie opened his eyes only to find fire all around, and an enormous hole in the ceiling above him… so high up, what the fuck? Had he fallen two storeys?

He _had_ , and he was on the edge of another hole, as fire crawled up the walls towards him. He was on his back, legs near the edge of a huge hole, held in place by _something_ … a piece of plasterboard was lying across his chest, pinning him in place. Eddie groaned as he levered it off himself, letting it fall over the side and into the fiery hole below. The building cracked and groaned around him; smoke was thick, but thankfully his respirator was still working.

Once free, he realised that the section of floor he was balanced on was sagging precariously, and quickly scooted away from the edge and over to the wall, bracing himself against it, taking in the situation for the first time.

He was two storeys below where he was supposed to be. Part of the interior of the building had caved in, and the fire was raging out of control on the first and second floors, flames shooting up every so often from the collapse. The room he was in had once been a kitchen, and the window was up over his head, and too narrow to escape from.

He checked his radio and discovered that the small antenna had snapped off. Desperation set in, and he tried calling for help. "This is Diaz. I'm trapped on the fourth floor – does anyone copy?"

There was a brief garbled transmission, so he tried again. "This is Diaz. Do you read me? I'm still alive in here." He listened again, but there was nothing but static.

They couldn't hear him. He was alone in a burning building, with no way of letting them know that he was still alive. He activated his PASS device and the shrill alarm filled the air – perhaps the building hadn't been entirely evacuated, and _someone_ was in earshot?

Eddie took in his situation. He was trapped on a narrow ledge with his back to the wall. Should he try to climb back up, or climb down and try to avoid the flames as he searched for an exit?

Leaning over to peer into the hole sealed his decision for him – there was no way he was going to be able to descend into that. It looked like the fiery gates of hell, and he wasn't going to have much time to try to escape. He had no idea where the exits were – he couldn't see any from his vantage point, which meant that his only option was to climb up, but looking around revealed a startling lack of options.

The building was cracking, and fire was climbing the walls towards him. The exit to the room he was in was on the other side of the hole in the floor. The floor above was still mostly intact over his head, extending out over the hole. Even if he could climb the walls, he wasn't able to reach the edge to pull himself up and over.

Ice cold realisation set in. This was it.

There was no way out.

He was going to die. They had no idea if he was alive or dead. Eric was nowhere to be found, presumably burning in the bottom of the collapse. He had no way of signalling them and no escape route. Nobody was coming for him. He was going to burn to death, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Christopher," he heard himself choke out, as real terror set in. "Oh god, _Christopher._ "

What would happen to his kid without him? He would go to his grandparents and be stifled, for the rest of his life. His parents would do to Christopher what they'd done to him.

There was a screeching sound from nearby, and Eddie looked up to watch another section of floor drop off into the void below, sending up a cloud of dust and smoke. He pressed himself against the wall, shielding himself as flames rose through the hole. He was going to burn to death, he realised with mounting horror. There would be another collapse and he'd fall right into that fiery abyss.

He gasped again, fighting back tears. He'd fantasised so many times about making Buck Christopher's guardian, but told himself it wasn't necessary; that nothing would happen, that he would be able to raise his kid, and now… he was definitely going to die, right when life was starting to become _good_ again. Right when things were just beginning with Buck… right when they were on the edge of something great.

"Buck!" he screamed into the radio, hoping, praying, that maybe Buck had come back for him – and that somehow, he'd be able to hear him. "Buck?! Where are you? I'm still alive, Buck! Please!"

A desperate look upwards revealed nothing but thick smoke. God, it was going to hurt, wasn't it? He was going to feel every single second of it before his body finally gave out. Buck would find his charred corpse and… fuck, he didn't want to die. Not like this. There was nothing; no answer. No way out. No miracle. Nobody was coming.

"Buck!" he screamed again, his voice hoarse. "Buck! Please! _Help!"_

The radio crackled. " _Eddie!_ "

For a second he thought he was hearing things, but then Buck's head popped over the edge of the ceiling, the light on his helmet illuminating Eddie's face. "Oh god," Eddie gasped, hardly able to believe what he was seeing. "Buck!"

"Eddie!" Buck was actually grinning at him – though it was more relief than anything else. "Okay, buddy, I'm going to get you out. Hang tight." He disappeared from view, and Eddie heard him say, "Yeah, I found him, Cap. I can see Eddie; I can get him out."

Eddie waited, thanking god that his radio worked so long as someone was nearby, and Buck hung over the edge again, peering down at him. "Okay, I'm going to throw you the rope," he shouted into the radio. "You're going to tie it around yourself, Eds, and swing out, and I'm going to pull you up."

"You won't be able to," Eddie replied desperately. "You're not strong enough."

Buck actually laughed at him, shaking his head. "I can lift heavier things than you," he retorted. "Do you trust me?"

Eddie didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Then tie the rope around yourself and hang the fuck on, Eds, because we're getting you out of here." Buck tossed the rope to him, and he tied it securely around his waist, tugging on the line a few times to make sure it was secure.

Buck leaned over again, and they locked eyes. "You got this," he said into the radio, though it was clear he was terrified. "We got this. Christopher is waiting for you."

He nodded. "Okay."

"All right. When I say go, you swing out, and I'm going to pull you up." Buck flashed him a tense grin. "I've got your back, Eds. I won't let go."

"Okay," he said, wrapping the rope around his gloved hands, readying to make the leap.

Buck disappeared, and after a few moments Eddie heard him shout, "Go!"

He took a deep breath and stepped off the ledge, falling only a few feet before the rope tightened, and slowly but surely Buck began to haul him upwards. The heat was intense, but Eddie kept his face turned upwards, watching the edge of the floor above grow ever closer, ignoring the pain radiating from his ribcage – something was broken, but he couldn't focus on that until he was safe.

When it was finally in reach, he released his grip on the rope with one hand, able to throw his arm over the ledge. Buck gave another final heave, and he threw his other arm over as well, and pulled himself up and over. Buck grabbed him underneath his arms and yanked him away from the edge, pulling Eddie into an embrace.

Breathless, they gripped each other, Buck sobbing as he tried to catch his breath. "You okay?" he finally managed to ask.

Eddie nodded. "Thank you. God, thank you so much," he said desperately. " _Thank you."_

"I would never leave you behind. Come on." Buck helped him to stand, and they untied the rope, before assessing their new situation – this floor, at least, had windows that were large enough to climb through.

Buck led Eddie over to the windows, both stepping carefully on the floor and hugging the walls, fearful of another collapse. He passed his radio to Eddie and began to smash through the windows with his crowbar. Eddie shut off his PASS device and called Bobby.

"Cap, it's Eddie," he said. "Buck and I are on the fifth floor. He's smashing through the windows."

"We see you," Bobby replied almost immediately. "We're bringing the ladder truck to you. You're going to have to rappel down."

Buck took the radio from him. "Cap, I don't have enough rope," he said. "Not for both of us."

There was silence, and then Bobby said, "Okay, guys, you're going to have to jump. We're inflating the mattress beneath you. Just hang tight and I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Copy that." Buck clipped his radio to his jacket and finished knocking the glass out, leaning out through the open window. "It's a straight shot to the ground," he said to Eddie. "No awnings. We'll go together."

Eddie nodded at him, taking his hand. "Buck, I—"

"Save it 'til we're on the ground, Eds," Buck replied, flashing him a grin. "I got you."

"I don't know what happened to Eric," he admitted. "He disappeared."

"That's not your fault. I shouldn't have left you behind." Buck leaned out through the window again and called Bobby on the radio. "How we looking, Cap?"

"One minute, Buck. Hang on."

They stood together at the window, as flames roared up behind them. The fact that the building was made of bricks was the only thing keeping it standing, as the internal structure continued to crumble. Buck wrapped his arm around Eddie's shoulders, both peering down as the mattress was inflated below.

Finally, Bobby's voice came back over the radio. "Okay, guys. Jump together; nobody stays behind. Take a big step off the window ledge."

They climbed up; arms linked. Another explosion of flames and smoke came from behind them, but Buck was counting from three, and then they jumped, together.

~~

Buck landed on the mattress with Eddie beside him, sinking down into the pillowy cloud to the ground. He took his helmet and mask off and reached for Eddie, who was struggling to sit up.

"You okay?" Buck asked him, grasping his shoulders. "Eds?"

"My chest hurts," he said with a grimace.

Buck carefully removed his helmet, mask and oxygen tank, and called to Bobby, "Get a stretcher."

"No, I'm okay," Eddie said, though his face was still screwed up with pain.

"You're not. Just sit there for a sec." Buck rolled off the mattress, undoing his turnout coat. It was then that he spotted Eric and Cameron from the 122, standing over with their captain, who was talking to them both seriously. Eric had made it out alive, and clearly with less difficulty than he and Eddie had experienced.

Buck couldn't worry about that. Eddie was sliding off the mattress, a hand still over his chest, and Hen and Chimney had arrived with the stretcher.

"What happened, Eddie?" Hen asked him, helping him out of his coat.

"I fell, and then I woke up with plasterboard on my chest," he replied, wincing as they helped him onto the stretcher. "Now it's feeling heavy."

"Okay, just hang on," Chimney said to him, patting Buck on the shoulder as they headed to the ambulance.

Buck was trailing behind them, but was suddenly confronted by a furious Bobby, who grabbed him by the arm and dragged him between the trucks. "You defied my orders," he said angrily, stabbing a finger in Buck's face. "I told you to evacuate; I told you to go up in the ladder from the outside to see what you could see, but you ignored me. You could've gotten yourself killed, as well as Eddie, and then where the hell would we be?"

Buck just shook his head defiantly. "I couldn't leave him behind. I promised him that I would always get him home to Christopher, so that's what I did."

"Buck!"

"What do you want me to say? It's my job!" he shouted. "Eddie's my partner, and you weren't – you didn't hear him screaming for me to save him, so don't fucking stand there and tell me that I shouldn't have gone back inside!"

"Oh god, Buck," Bobby groaned. "Why can't you just trust me for once?"

He just threw his hands up helplessly. "It's Eddie, Cap. I… would die for him."

Bobby squeezed his shoulders, rocking him back and forth on his feet, anguished. "I know, and it kills me."

Buck could only shrug at him – it was _true_. Eddie and Christopher were the two most important people in his life. He would do _anything_ for them. "How the hell did Eric make it out?"

Bobby shook his head. "We're not sure; we're trying to figure that out. He told his captain that he thought Eddie was dead."

Buck screwed his face up, totally confused. "Did he even look?"

"I'm not sure, but they'll investigate it. It's not your place to worry about it."

Worry about it? Buck had a sneaking suspicion that Eric had left Eddie for dead, but it wasn't the time or the place to confront him. He was about to jog over to the ambulance when he heard shouts from the other side of the trucks, and a man screaming.

"Where's my wife?! Oh my god, _Jessica!_ Why aren't you searching for my wife?"

Bobby gave Buck another shake, and then pushed him away. "Go to the hospital with Eddie," he said. "I'll be there later to check on him."

Buck nodded and followed Bobby out from between the trucks. The building was burning out of control; water from the fire hoses almost ineffectual against the heat and fire. The missing woman's husband had his arms around his children, and he and Buck made brief eye contact – a mistake, because suddenly he was striding over to Buck furiously.

"You just left her behind?" he demanded – he was braced and ready for a fight, his muscles tensed, fists clenched. "You didn't even look!"

"Sir, with all due respect, back off," Bobby said, holding up his hands, trying to defuse the situation. "He wasn't supposed to go back inside at all. He defied orders."

"Yeah, to save one of your guys instead of my wife!" the man shouted.

"Mr Phillips, please."

"Is that how you firefighters operate? You put your lives over everyone else? I'm going to sue you all!" he screamed, making a move as if to shove Bobby, but Buck swiftly put himself between them.

"I'm sorry," he said, holding up his hands. "I'm really sorry about your wife."

"You should be," Mr Phillips snarled, throwing his fist back in preparation to swing, but one of the guys from the 122 grabbed him and restrained him before he could. "Fuck you! Fuck you all! She's dead because of you!"

"Come on," Bobby said to Buck, grabbing him by the shoulder and hauling him away. "Go to the hospital with Eddie. Go."

Buck cast one final look at the stricken husband, and then spotted Eric and Cameron talking with their captain. He made brief eye contact with Eric, who looked _guilty as all fuck_ , and couldn't help himself.

"Hey, when you left him for dead," Buck called, ignoring Bobby trying to pull him back, "did you at least check to make sure he was still alive? Or you just peaced the fuck out?"

Eric held his hands up. "Hey man, I’m sorry. It was a bad scene."

"Yeah, well, you could've fucking tried. He's got a kid," Buck snapped. "I mean, we're supposed to have each other's backs, right? You could've had Eddie's."

"I made the wrong call man, I'm sorry. I didn't know he was still alive."

"Bullshit." Buck cast him one final, bitter look, yanked his arm away from Bobby and stalked over to the ambulance.

Eddie was awake, shirtless, hooked up to a heart monitor and oxygen. He gave Buck a relieved look when he climbed into the back of the ambulance. "Broken ribs," he said, his voice muffled.

"Definitely," Hen said ruefully. "We'll get you x-rayed at the hospital. When you were talking chest pains, I was thinking the worst, but your heartbeat is normal. Really strong."

"You're coming with us, Buck?" Chimney asked. "Ride up front with me."

"Okay." Buck patted Eddie's leg and climbed out again, slamming the doors shut and rounding the side of the ambulance to the passenger seat. He slid in beside Chimney and buckled up, the sirens blaring as they trundled away. "How long was Eric out before we escaped?"

Chimney shook his head, casting him a bitter look. "He was out right after Cameron. We only realised that Eddie was missing then."

"How the hell did he manage that, Chim? The fucking floors collapsed; Eddie was two storeys down near the fucking gates of hell, and what, he walked out of there?"

"He came down the fire stairs on the other side of the building," Chimney replied, "which is why you didn't see him. We'll have to ask Eddie what happened."

Buck shook his head bitterly. "He left him."

"It's looking that way. When I saw him walk out, I knew…" Chimney trailed off. "I thought he was dead. And then Bobby started screaming at you over the radio and I thought you were dead too."

"Would you leave Hen?" he asked, turning to Chimney pointedly.

"No." They shared a quick look. "I wouldn't."

"Exactly."

* * *

_What a disaster that had been._

_He'd finally had some luck – a decent fire; with people to save, news cameras all around, and he hadn't even had to light it – and he still couldn't stage a rescue spectacular enough to land him on television._

_And sure, he'd been a part of the rescue, and he'd gone inside - but it was hardly enough; not when one of the hotshots from the 118 was trapped, and the other hotshot from the 118 had to rescue him, all while a crowd of onlookers watched and gasped from below as they leapt out of a fifth storey window._

_It was maddening._

_What the fuck did he have to do to get some goddamn recognition?_

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was going to do a chapter every two days, but why drag it out? I'll be posting a chapter a day instead.
> 
> Enjoy!

While Eddie was taken for x-rays, Buck made calls to Carla and his family to let him know that Eddie had been injured but was okay; that they didn't need to come to the hospital and he would bring Eddie home as soon as he was released. Hen and Chimney had to head back to the fire, so he was on his own, but he didn't have to wait long. A nurse called him, and he followed her down to the curtained area where Eddie was perched on the edge of a bed. He was shirtless, dark bruises beginning to show on the right side of his chest, and a nurse was carefully strapping his ribs.

"Hey," Buck said, and because they were in the presence of someone they didn't know, and were probably never going to see again, he couldn't help but lean in and kiss Eddie with relief.

To his surprise, Eddie didn't immediately push him away. He leaned into the kiss, letting out a soft murmur, and when they parted, Buck realised he was on the verge of tears. "You're okay," Buck said, brushing another kiss to his forehead. "It was close, but you're okay."

Eddie nodded, swallowing reflexively. "Might take me some time to get over this one."

"Yeah, I get it. You take whatever time you need." Buck sat beside him on the bed, and Eddie leaned against him gratefully. "I got you, man. You know that."

"Yeah." Eddie's voice was low. "You're coming home with me, right?"

"Sure." Buck kissed his cheek and nuzzled against him. "Whatever you want."

The nurse flashed them a smile. "How long have you two been together?"

Buck was about to reply, but Eddie said, "Friends over two years, together for four months."

"Nice," she replied. "Your boyfriend saved your life tonight?"

Eddie nodded, his eyes glistening with tears. "Yeah, he did."

"He's a keeper."

Eddie turned to Buck and murmured, "Yes, he is."

Buck kissed him again.

~

Eddie had hit the back of his head, so the doctor decided to send him up for a CAT scan to ensure everything was okay. Buck returned to the waiting room, where he found Bobby and Athena waiting for him. Athena pulled him in for an uncharacteristic hug, rubbing his back. "I came down here as soon as I heard," she said. "How's Eddie?"

"Broken ribs, and they're checking him for a concussion. What are you doing here?" he asked Bobby.

"They've got the fire under control, and I sent the rest of the team back to the station. Eddie's going to be all right?"

"Yeah, they're releasing him soon. I'm going to take him home."

"Good." Bobby glanced at Athena, and then said, "Buck, we need to talk."

He sighed. "I'm in trouble."

Bobby looked pained. "Yes, you are. You know I have to suspend you, right? You disobeyed my direct orders to evacuate."

"Yep."

"You ignored me."

"You were wrong," Buck said boldly, though some of his confidence waned when Bobby's eyebrows flew up in surprise. He doubled down. "Well, you were. We didn't know where he was. All we knew was that the internal floors had collapsed. It was by pure luck that I was able to roughly guess where he was. I never would've found him from the outside, Cap."

"But you do this all the time," Bobby groaned, frustrated.

"This time was different. He'd be dead right now if I hadn't gone back in," Buck argued. "The ledge he was on wasn't going to hold much longer. I did what I had to do to save him. He's my partner. And that piece of shit—"

"Buck!" Bobby snapped. "He told us he didn't know where Eddie was."

"Bullshit! How the fuck did he walk out of the building when Eddie fell two storeys?" Buck demanded. "How?"

"Maybe he got lucky; I don't know—"

"It doesn't make sense."

Bobby groaned again, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look. I know… ultimately, I know you did the right thing. Knowing what we know _now_ , you're probably right – we wouldn't have been able to find him using the ladder, but Buck… you just have to listen to me sometimes, okay? Please? I shouldn't have to ask you to listen to me."

Buck sighed. "It's _Eddie._ "

"I know, and that's what concerns me more than anything. The Eddie of it all." Bobby gave him a concerned look. "You two are so close, Buck. I was worried after the incident at the well, and then the way Eddie reacted at the train derailment, and now… I'm worried your judgement is impaired."

Buck swallowed hard. "He's my partner."

"It's more than that. We can all see it." Bobby rested his hands on his hips. "I don't know what to do, but… I have to suspend you. It's not personal – the Department is going to expect it of me. I know… you did the right thing, and I know… he wouldn't be here if you didn't. But… I have to, Buck. You understand?"

Buck nodded wordlessly.

"Okay." Bobby suddenly pulled him in for a hug, patting his back. "I thought you were both going to die. Don't do that to me again, Buck. Please."

He couldn't promise that. He released Bobby, took a step back and shook his head. "It's Eddie."

Bobby sighed, exchanging a look with Athena. "I know."

All Buck could do was offer a small, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just angry that… the system we put in place to ensure that our firefighters escape with their lives was almost entirely disregarded today, not just by you, but by the 122 as well. At some point I'm going to sit down with you and Eddie to discuss exactly what happened and try to figure out how we can avoid this from occurring again." Bobby gave him a long look. "Eric said they were searching for the mother of the children, Jessica Phillips. Did you see any sign of her at all while you were in there? She hasn't been located."

Buck shook his head. "The floors below us were burning out of control," he replied. "The building was pretty much crumbling on the inside. Eddie was just lucky; so fucking lucky. I heard him screaming for help in the radio, calling for me…" he broke off, on the verge of tears, trembling. "I heard him screaming for me. Jesus. He was desperate. Do you honestly think I could live with myself if I didn't try, Cap? How the fuck would I be able to sleep at night if I hadn't gone back in?"

Bobby just shook his head, letting out a sigh. "I know. We'll talk it through later."

~~

Eddie was released from hospital after his CAT scan showed only a minor concussion. He was advised that he should rest as much as possible, and so he only lingered with Bobby and Athena for a minute before sliding into the back of an Uber with Buck and heading home.

Carla hurried out to meet them as they walked up the pathway to the house. Eddie had an arm across his ribs protectively, and she hissed when she laid eyes on him, reaching out to rub his arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it could be worse." He glanced at Buck and suddenly realised how exhausted he looked. "You okay, buddy?"

"It's been a long day," Buck replied, resting his hand on Eddie's shoulder. "You need to get some rest. Come on."

Rest could wait until after he'd seen Christopher, who hugged him gingerly and looked back and forth between them all with confusion, like he couldn't really understand that Eddie had been injured. He then shadowed Eddie into the bedroom, sitting on the bed while he changed into some casual clothes, trying and failing to hide the tape across his ribs.

"Dad, what's that?"

"I just hurt my ribs, kiddo. I'm okay." He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to pull on a pair of socks. Christopher watched him struggle to lean over and finally sat on the floor in front of him, helping slide the socks onto his feet. Close to tears, Eddie murmured, "Thanks, Chris. You want to stay in here with me tonight?"

Christopher nodded firmly.

Eddie finished readying for bed and slid under the covers. His whole body was aching, and exhaustion had set in. He barely heard Buck checking in on them; already drifting off to sleep, with Christopher pressed up against his left side, his head on his shoulder.

~

The next morning brought with it more pain, but Buck was there, making coffee and breakfast and ensuring that Christopher was occupied. Eddie sat at the dining table, his eyelids heavy, and drank whatever Buck put in front of him and devoured an entire plate of bacon and eggs.

When Buck set down a second plate, he ate about half before pushing it away. "I'm done. Stop trying to fatten me up."

Buck slid a hand across his shoulders and took the plate from him to finish it off. "You feeling okay?"

"Sore, tired, you know." Eddie rested his head on his hand and gazed at Buck. "Why aren't you going to work?"

"I've been suspended." Buck shrugged at him.

Shocked, Eddie sat back in his seat. "Why?"

"For ignoring Bobby and going back inside to save you. I never would've been able to if I'd listened to him." Buck had a dark look on his face.

"They were just going to leave me behind?" Eddie asked quietly. "Buck—"

"They didn't know where you were, but I could make a guess based off our last location," he replied. "So when Bobby radioed me and told me to evacuate, I ignored him and continued going back up. He's pissed. I get it."

"How were they going to search for me?"

"Using the ladder to look through the windows, I think, but you were stuck in that corner and we wouldn't have been able to see you. So I made the right call," he said, nodding firmly. "We're both here."

"But you're suspended," Eddie muttered.

"I don't care. It doesn't matter. Bobby has to put on a show for the Chief; I get it. The important thing is that you're here."

"And what about the other guy? Eric? He escaped?"

"Yep." Buck's lips tightened. "Jerk."

Eddie rubbed his face with both hands, trying to think back. "Okay, let's work through this. You guys took the kids out. Eric wanted to check the apartment, but he went into the kitchen and I went to check the bedrooms. When I came out, I couldn't find him."

"Because he left you," Buck said flatly, and shovelled some food into his mouth.

He screwed his face up. "Why – why would he do that?"

"Because he's a coward."

"Buck, I don't think he would've knowingly left me behind," Eddie replied – he couldn't think that, because they put their trust in each other. How would he ever trust anyone aside from his own team if he'd been left behind intentionally? "Maybe he was confused."

Buck shook his head. "And he didn't even go down the main flight of stairs," he said, waving his fork at Eddie. "He took the stairs on the other side of the building. He didn't want to get caught."

"But—"

"No buts. That's what happened. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

"Well, I want to talk to Bobby."

"Fine. You do whatever you want, but I know what happened. I know that coward got scared and left while you were still searching the apartment. He was down on the street before I even found you," he replied, frustrated. "He knew what he was doing. Jerk."

"Buck, just… calm down, all right? I know you're angry. Just… please, just…" he leaned in, resting his forehead on Buck's shoulder. "I'm so tired."

Buck immediately softened, slipping an arm around Eddie's shoulders and smoothing his hair back. "You're tired? You should go back to bed. Come with me."

It was not his normal nature to need too much comfort from anyone aside from Christopher, but he buried his face against Buck's neck and let him hold him. If it was true, that Eric had left him behind, then… that was a reality he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with.

~

Bobby and Chimney arrived in the early afternoon, while Eddie was trying to have a nap. He heard raised voices coming from the living room and sat up painfully, careful not to disturb his sleeping son, and wandered out to investigate.

Buck was on edge again, tearful, his arms wrapped around himself. Chimney had one hand on Buck's shoulder, trying to reassure him, but they all stopped speaking when Eddie entered the room.

"You look like shit," Chimney said, ever tactful.

Eddie gave him the finger. "What's going on?"

"Nothing good," Buck muttered.

Bobby gave Buck a pleading look. "You can't keep throwing these accusations around. Nothing has been proven."

Buck nodded, shrugging, pulling away from Chimney. "Okay. Fine."

"Buck—"

"No, it's cool. Someone will die next time, but whatever." Buck stalked away from them, down the hall to the backyard, and disappeared outside.

Eddie took a seat at the table, grimacing at them. "What's going on?"

"They're launching an investigation into what the hell happened last night," Bobby explained, sliding into the seat opposite Eddie. "Listen, Eddie… I owe you an apology. I told Buck not to go back in."

He nodded. "I know. He told me."

"I thought it was a suicide mission until I realised Eric had escaped," Bobby confessed. "I thought you were both dead, and then he appeared, and Buck called me over the radio to tell me he'd found you."

"You thought I was dead," he repeated, rubbing his face.

Chimney took the seat beside Eddie and said, "It looked really bad from the outside, Eddie. I mean, we saw the interior floors collapse, right where you guys had been. We thought the worst, and then we found out Buck was going back in, and…"

He nodded – he understood; they didn't need to explain it to him, but it hurt in a way that he couldn't quite put into words. "Okay."

Bobby gave him a concerned look. "Eddie, I promise you, we would've done everything we could."

"Except letting Buck come find me. You know I'd do the same for him, right?"

He sighed. "I know, but he defied orders."

"He saved my life; the least you could do is say thank you," he murmured.

Bobby exchanged a look with Chimney, and then said, "Listen to me – I'd pin a medal on him if the Department would let me, but I can't. It's _Buck._ You know how the Chief feels about him; you know that I have to suspend him, so I'm not accused of showing favouritism. Yes, he saved your life and I am eternally grateful, but he defied my direct orders. You understand, Eddie."

"I get it, but at some point, the Chief needs to let go of the lawsuit and everything and focus on what an asset Buck is," he replied. "And you do too."

"Nobody is arguing that," Chimney said, trying to placate them both. "Listen – we're trying to figure out the timeline. The Chief is really fucking angry about the way things went down last night – not so much at you and Buck, because ultimately Buck did his job and saved you both, but why Eric abandoned you without telling you he was leaving the apartment."

"Do you feel up to talking about it?" Bobby asked quietly. "I know how tired you must be."

"I can talk about it," he said, as Buck appeared in the doorway.

"I'm sorry," he said to Bobby, uncharacteristically subdued. "I didn't mean what I said."

"It's okay, Buck. I can't suspend you again," Bobby said, gesturing for him to take a seat. "All right, let's go over it," he said, rising to his feet, pacing back and forth across the floor. "This is what we know for certain. The fire last night was deliberately lit, and because the building wasn't up to code, it spread quickly and without impediment. So far the only casualty looks to be the mother of the children you rescued – Jessica Phillips, though her body hasn't been found. Eddie, I want you to walk me through what happened as you were clearing the building with the guys from the 122, up to the moment of collapse, if you can."

Eddie nodded. He ran through it as best he could – clearing each apartment methodically with Buck, Eric and Cameron; hearing the children shouting for help and forcing their way into that apartment. Buck and Cameron made the decision to evacuate with the children, but he stayed with Eric, who wanted to look for the mother. Buck was silent throughout, his eyes trained on Eddie with concern.

"We were going through the apartment," he said, clearing his throat. "The fire had pretty much taken hold. She wasn't in there – not that I could see. We separated – he went to check the kitchen, and I went to check the bedrooms, which were both clear. I was coming back out through the living room when the building began to shake. I shouted for him but… he didn't respond. The door was open to the apartment, I think? I knew I had to get out, but I thought… maybe he was trapped, so I went back to check when the floor began to sag under my feet. I managed to make it to the wall before the floor gave way."

Chimney glanced up at Bobby, who was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So you separated, and you didn't see him again before the collapse?"

"No," he replied quietly. "I didn't."

"And then… you blacked out?"

"I think so… I must've, because I woke up in the hole, and… I was two storeys below where I'd started. I think." Eddie's hand went to his side instinctively, over his ribs. "I got up, and braced myself in the corner of the room, and started screaming for help, but… where I was stuck, there was no way out. The window was too high and narrow, and the ceiling was still over my head so I couldn't climb up. I thought… it was the end." His voice trembled, and he wrestled to keep his emotions under control.

"But then Buck appeared," Chimney said.

He cleared his throat again, nodding. "Yeah, on the floor above. He pulled me up, and then we went out the window. Cap…" he fought back tears, struggling with his emotions, knowing that if he even so much as looked in Buck's direction, he'd lose it, "I know he did the wrong thing, but he saved my life, and…"

"I know, Eddie," Bobby said gently. "I know he did. It just… from where we were standing, on the ground, we thought he wasn't coming back. That it was a suicide mission. We didn't know if you were alive or dead, and…" he was suddenly wrestling with his emotions as well, shaking his head, "and… I made the call, and… it was wrong of me. I'm sorry."

Eddie swallowed reflexively, staring at the table, and felt Buck's foot brush against his under the table. "It's okay. I understand."

"Before everyone loses it, let's move on," Chimney said, trying to calm them all down. "Listen – the important thing is this. Eddie and Eric separated. Eric made it out, Eddie didn't. I'm going to agree with Buck – I think Eric left Eddie behind."

Buck gave Chimney a grateful look.

Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. "You can't make that accusation."

"Why not? Eddie's not lying," Chimney replied, gesturing to him. "And why would he suddenly abandon a fellow firefighter? I don't know, but I'm going to throw out a wild guess. Eric is the arsonist."

Bewildered, Bobby screwed his face up. "What? How the hell do you get that?"

"He left Eddie behind."

"That doesn't mean he lit the fire. If it is a firefighter, and what Athena says is true – that it's about being a hero – wouldn't the heroic thing for him to have done is rescue Eddie?" he pointed out. "If he left – _if_ – then that doesn't mean he's the arsonist; it raises a whole lot of other questions. Like, is he capable of doing this job?"

"No," Chimney said bluntly. "He ran away."

"Chim, we don't know that," Bobby said in exasperation.

"I know it. Buck knows it. Hen does too. He walked out of that building knowing he'd left Eddie behind. He left Eddie before the floors even collapsed!"

Buck raised his eyebrows, leaning back in his seat, his arms folded across his chest. "That's what I've been saying."

Bobby sighed. "We don't know that for sure."

"We do," Chimney replied, gesturing to Eddie, who was beginning to feel fatigued by the whole argument. "If anyone should be suspended, it's him. Not Buck. He saved Eddie's life by a fucking miracle," he said with disgust.

"Chim, we just went over this!"

"Well? Hen and I both don't understand what the problem is."

"I might want to pin a medal on him, but the Department isn't going to look favourably on me just allowing one of my firefighters to openly defy me in front of everyone and nearly get himself killed," Bobby shot back. "Come on. The Chief already doesn't like Buck. I have to suspend him. You understand," he said to Buck, who nodded.

"We make an example of the people who put their lives on the line to save one of our own, and let the cowards get away with it," Chimney muttered.

Bobby heaved a sigh, shaking his head, a pained expression on his face.

~

After Bobby and Chimney left, Eddie shifted so he was sitting beside Buck and said quietly, "I know you're angry, but listen to me for a sec, okay?"

Buck nodded.

"I can never repay you," he said, and almost broke down, but wrestled his emotions back under control. "You saved my life, just like you said you would. Thank you, Buck."

Buck cupped his face, his thumb rubbing along his cheekbone, and said quietly but full of devotion, "I would do anything for you, Eddie."

Eddie nodded at him tearfully. "I love you," he said, without really thinking about it.

Buck's eyes lit up. "I love you too."

"This thing we're doing isn't just sex for me, you know… it never was."

"Yeah, I figured, I just… was waiting for you to tell me." Buck smiled at him. "You're the only person I want to be with."

He let out a breath. "You and me, Buck. We're going to do this? For real?"

"If you'll have me." Buck ran his fingers over the line of his eyebrows, gazing at him tenderly. "I'd save you a thousand times if I had to."

"You won't have to; that's never happening again."

"No, because I'm never letting you out of my sight," Buck said firmly. "Ever."

That wasn't realistic, and they both knew it, but Eddie kissed him anyway. Buck lifted a hand to touch his face again, and Eddie leaned forward to press their foreheads together.

"I shouldn't be here," he murmured.

"I never would've stopped looking for you. I had to bring you home to Christopher. I'd do anything for you, Eddie."

He nodded, sliding his hand over Buck's chest, across his heart. "Can you stay here for a few days, while you're on suspension? Just to help out?"

"Sure," Buck agreed. "No problem. And don't worry, we can keep this between us for now. I know you… need some time."

Eddie nodded, biting his lip. "That's okay?"

"Yeah, of course. Not everyone is as comfortable with their sexuality as I am." Buck smiled at him, and brushed another kiss to his lips. "Come on. You need to get some more rest."

* * *

_It was too close; far too close._

_Things went south too fast, and those two damn hotshots from the 118 were having the last laugh – the only two firefighters anyone was talking about. How brave it was for Buckley to go back inside to rescue his partner; how cowardly the other two firefighters with them were. Not to mention their escape – leaping from the fifth floor together, holding hands – it was enough to make you sick. All over the news and front page on all the papers – hell, the story was even picked up by Buzzfeed._

_What the fuck did he have to do? Nobody was thanking him for his part in it; no one was taking photos as he exited with survivors – they were all too focused on the firefighters trapped inside._

_He'd never liked Buckley – the kid was a cocky little shit, a smart-ass who was able to get away with murder. He'd heard rumours about Captain Nash as well – the alcoholism, and the murky reasons why he'd been assigned to Los Angeles – and considered himself lucky not to have to work for the man. Diaz was okay – he knew the guy had a kid with CP, and he respected him. The man had served in the army, after all. He was a badass. He could never understand why Diaz had thrown in with Buckley, but he guessed there were a lack of options at the 118._

_And after having witnessed what he'd witnessed the night before, as Captain Nash shouted into his radio after Buckley, he'd made his mind up. Maybe the fires could be about more than just proving what a hero he was – maybe he was meant to light them, to eliminate his biggest competition._

_And in doing so, setting Buckley up to take the fall for everything._

_He liked that idea._

* * *

Over the following week, both Buck and Eddie gave five different interviews regarding the fire – two to the Department, with Bobby with them at all times, and three to the police, with a lawyer appointed by the Department there with them as well. Buck couldn't help but feel that he was in trouble, even though he'd done nothing wrong – like they were trying to catch him in a lie.

His story never changed, and neither did Eddie's. Bobby pulled him aside after one of the interviews and told him he was doing great, that all their questions were answered, and he and Eddie weren't in any kind of trouble. They were trying to determine who lit the apartment building fire, and whether it was the same arsonist as the rest of the fires, but so far they had no real evidence tying the fires together.

Buck wasn't a fan of the Detective running the arson case, and from the sneer on Athena's face whenever the man was around, it was clear she wasn't, either. Detective Chambers was an older man, possibly in his mid-60s, with a big bushy moustache and a pot belly. He had a complexion that screamed alcoholism, and his questions were often blunt and rude. During one of the interviews he asked Buck if it was his usual practice to disregard the lives of everyone else to save his partner, and Buck had sat there, stunned, until the lawyer for the Fire Department cut in with a curt, "Everyone else was evacuated at that point, Detective Chambers. Rephrase your question."

Buck didn't like Detective Chambers, and the feeling was mutual, but Athena walked him out afterwards and reassured him by saying he'd never have to see the man again. Buck hoped she was right.

Buck was on suspension until Monday, and it was on the Friday that he went back to the loft to pick up some extra clothes. He was on his way back out of the building when he received a call from Bobby asking him to bring Eddie to the station the next day – a meeting had been arranged with the Chief at the LAFD headquarters, and Bobby wanted to go through everything with them before heading over together.

"Is this really necessary?" Buck asked, not wanting to sit through yet another discussion of the same thing. "How many times do I have to tell the same story?"

"This is different," Bobby replied. "Captain Anderson, Cameron and Eric will be in attendance as well, to discuss the breakdown in communication that led to Eddie being separated."

"Breakdown in communication," Buck repeated, pausing outside the elevator. At the end of the hallway, one of his neighbours was strolling towards him. "There was no communication."

"Buck, promise me you'll keep your temper under control."

"My temper? Eddie almost died!"

"Buck."

He exhaled, trying to calm down. "Okay. Fine. I don't understand why we have to keep going over this."

"Well, this time the Chief is trying to determine the truth. Eric has given a conflicting report of what happened when he and Eddie separated. Now, don't get mad, okay? We're going to sit down and discuss it like adults. You know I’m on your side; you know I believe Eddie, one hundred percent. He nearly died; he has no reason to lie."

"Okay," he murmured, a little numbly. "All right."

"I know you're sick of this, but hopefully this is the last interview. Promise me you won't do anything stupid, like punching Eric in the face. I know you want to."

"I don't go around punching people," he said tiredly, stabbing the down button with his finger. "But I can't wait to hear what the prick has to say."

"Buck," Bobby said warningly.

"Sorry. Okay. What time?"

"3pm. Best behaviour, from both of you. I'll call Eddie to let him know."

"He's going to be thrilled," Buck said dryly, as his neighbour joined him – Aaron, who'd only been in the building a couple of months. Buck nodded at him in greeting, and Aaron flashed him a smile. "Okay, Bobby. See you then."

He was tucking his phone into his pocket when Aaron said mildly, "Moving out?"

Buck glanced down at the bag in his hand and shook his head. "No. My friend was injured at work and I'm staying with him for a while to help out with his kid."

"Ah. A rough night then," Aaron guessed. "That apartment fire downtown?"

"Yeah, he got caught up inside." _Left inside_ , he thought bitterly.

"That sucks, man. I know what it's like to get hurt on the job; it's a real bitch."

Buck had no idea what Aaron did for a living, and just as he was about to ask, the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. He reached over to hit the button for the ground floor, checking his watch quickly, before realising that Aaron was studying him. "Something on my face?" he asked quizzically.

"Oh, no. Um… this could be out of line, but I'll kick myself if I don't ask. That friend of yours… he's just a friend, and not actually your boyfriend, right?"

Buck began to panic internally. He'd never been questioned about it before, and couldn't help but stammer, "Um, no, I mean, yeah – yeah, he's my friend." He couldn't out Eddie to some random dude in an elevator. "Just friends," he clarified, clearing his throat.

"So you're… into dudes?" Aaron asked hopefully.

Buck nodded. "Yep, ah… yep, I'm bi."

"All right… and I'm just going to shoot my shot here – would you want to grab a drink with me sometime?"

_Shit._ Buck couldn't think of a lie fast enough, and heard himself say, "Yeah, okay. Sure."

"Great." Aaron was smiling, but there was something about him that made Buck feel uneasy.

He put it down to the fact that he would have to tell Eddie that he'd agreed to drinks with another guy, because… truthfully, if he was single, Aaron would ordinarily be the kind of guy he'd be interested in. Tall, dark and handsome with a couple of visible tattoos – but there was something off-putting about him; he'd never been able to put his finger on exactly what it was. And now he'd agreed to have drinks with the guy.

Eddie was going to be _pissed._

~

Buck didn't tell Eddie about Aaron – they had the meeting at the station to worry about, and the last thing he wanted was for Eddie to be all bent-out-of-shape in front of the Chief. Buck picked him and Christopher up, dropped Christopher off with Eddie's Abuela and then drove them to the station to meet Bobby before the meeting. They greeted Hen and Chimney before following Bobby into his office.

"Some things you both need to know," he said, gesturing for them to take seats at his desk. "It's looking like the fire at the apartment building was deliberately lit and is related to the other fires. The only death – presumed death – is that of Jessica Phillips."

"They haven't found her yet," Eddie said quietly.

"No, but they're still sifting through the debris. The rest of the internal structure collapsed a few hours after you two escaped, so there's a lot to comb through." Bobby passed them a photo of the smoking, blackened rubble. "You see what they're up against."

"Yeah," Buck murmured. "Okay."

"But listen – today's meeting is about whether disciplinary action should be taken against you or Eric, Eddie," Bobby explained, and as Buck's blood pressure shot up, Eddie's knee pressed against his insistently behind the desk.

"Okay," he replied. "That's fair."

"You've done nothing wrong," Buck said to him desperately. "How is this fair?"

"It is what it is, Buck. They'll believe my side of it or they won't." Eddie shrugged at him. "There's no use getting angry. You saved my life. This is nothing."

"Eddie is not going to be in trouble," Bobby said in a low voice. "You both know that. Buck, just… do me a favour, and keep your cool. I know how much Eddie means to you, but please – keep your cool."

Buck sighed. "Yeah, okay. I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Good."

~~

Bobby drove them over to headquarters, and once inside, they found they were the first to arrive. Captain Anderson, Eric and Cameron arrived about five minutes later, taking seats across from them in the waiting room. They'd been sitting in silence for a few minutes when Chief Alonzo appeared with two other high-ranking members of the LAFD, and they were led into a large conference room. There were no pleasantries beforehand, but Eddie was aware that Bobby and the Chief usually got along very well.

They all took seats at the table. Bobby was closest to the Chief, Eddie beside him, and then Buck at the end – clearly intimidated, keeping his eyes averted. He'd tried so hard to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, and Eddie could tell how nervous he was, and hooked his ankle with Buck's under the table to reassure him.

Captain Anderson, Eric and Cameron took seats across from them – Eric directly across the table from Eddie. It was the first time Eddie had ever really paid attention to how he looked – neither Eric nor Cameron were particularly handsome men. Cameron had a permanent frown on his face, and Eric had dark circles under his eyes and streaks of silver in his brown hair. They were both around the same age – Eddie guessed they were in their early thirties, but he wasn't sure. Cameron was the one with visible tattoos – one peeking out from the shirt-sleeve of his uniform, and a quote of some kind on his left hand. Eddie couldn't read it.

Eric seemed more nervous than Cameron. He was fidgeting, twisting a gold band around his ring finger, sweat beading on his forehead. Beside him, Cameron kept shooting looks his way, but other than that, he seemed quietly confident. Eddie guessed he hadn't really done anything wrong, and his presence at the meeting was just a formality.

"Right," Chief Alonzo began. "Let's begin. I have statements from all of you, and I just want to make one thing clear – I have an idea in my mind of what happened on Friday night. I believe there was a breakdown in communication on all parts, including from both Captains, which led to Firefighter Diaz almost losing his life. I'm going to tell you what I believe, and then offer you all a chance to respond." He looked around the table, receiving nods of agreement, and turned back to the folder in front of him.

"I'm skipping ahead to the moment that all four firefighters separated. Firefighters Taylor and Buckley had rescued two children and escaped via the southern fire stairs. Firefighters Diaz and Murphy remained in the apartment, searching for the mother of the children, Jessica Phillips. They separated, and Firefighter Diaz conducted a search of the bedrooms while Firefighter Murphy searched the living room, bathroom and kitchen. Firefighter Murphy claims he radioed Firefighter Diaz and told him he was evacuating; however Firefighter Diaz claims that no such radio communication was received. Firefighter Murphy then leaves the apartment without awaiting a response, and Firefighter Diaz emerges from the bedroom to find himself alone." The Chief looked at them all again over the top of his glasses, eyebrows raised. "Not too long after that, there was an internal collapse, and Firefighter Diaz fell two storeys to the fourth floor. At this point, Firefighter Murphy had evacuated via the northern fire stairs and was already on the street below. Firefighter Buckley became aware of the internal collapse and went back up via the southern stairs to rescue Firefighter Diaz, while Firefighter Taylor proceeded to evacuate with the children. Does this series of events seem correct to all of you?"

The three men from the 122 nodded, but Bobby said, "We don't agree with Firefighter Murphy's actions. There was no radio call made to Eddie. It's a shared channel that was being monitored; nobody recalls hearing a radio call from Murphy to Diaz."

"Correct," Chief Alonzo agreed. "Firefighter Murphy's radio was in working condition; it was inspected as part of the investigation. Firefighter Murphy, would you please offer an explanation for this?"

Eric glanced at his Captain, who said, "There were extenuating circumstances. Perhaps everybody missed the radio call."

Bobby looked over at Captain Anderson sharply.

"Everybody," Chief Alonzo said flatly. "Every single person listening to the radio chatter missed the call."

Captain Anderson opened his mouth again and said, "I – well, there was a lot of radio chatter; and I fear that in the confusion of Firefighter Buckley returning to rescue Firefighter Diaz, Eric's radio transmission was overlooked."

Captain Alonzo arched an eyebrow at him, and then turned to Bobby. "Do you recall hearing a radio transmission advising that Firefighter Murphy was evacuating?"

Bobby shook his head. "No, and I was monitoring the lines of communication. Firefighter Buckley called me and advised that there had been an internal collapse and that he was going to look for Eddie. About a minute later, Firefighter Taylor emerged from the front entrance of the building with two young children, and less than a minute after that, Firefighter Murphy emerged from behind the building – not from the front entrance, which suggests to me that he was already evacuating before the internal collapse occurred."

"Do you recall hearing a radio transmission?" Chief Alonzo asked Buck.

"No, sir," he replied. "And my radio was in working order."

"Firefighter Taylor?"

Cameron hesitated, his eyes flicking to Eric. "No," he finally admitted.

"Firefighter Diaz?"

Eddie shook his head. "No, sir. My radio only worked in close range after the collapse, but before it was fully operational. He didn't advise me that he was evacuating."

Chief Alonzo turned to Captain Anderson. "The question is why Firefighter Murphy abandoned one of his colleagues in a burning building. Would you care to give me a reason?"

Captain Anderson turned to Eric, who was staring at the table. "Chief Alonzo, as you are aware, Eric's father was killed in the World Trade Centre on September 11," he began. "Eric went through the academy and joined the LAFD right out of high school. He has no blemishes on his record – he has been an exceptional employee. In fact, he's received several commendations from you."

Chief Alonzo nodded. "That's correct, which is why I'm very interested to find out the reason he abandoned Firefighter Diaz."

Eric was sweating profusely. He turned to his Captain, who shook his head at him and then said, "Eric believes it was a miscommunication; that he and Firefighter Diaz had agreed to evacuate once they'd cleared their areas."

"That's not protocol," Chief Alonzo said bluntly. "Firefighter Diaz, would you please offer your version of events?"

Eddie shifted in his seat, annoyed that Eric was so blatantly lying about how things had gone down. "Sir, as I remember it, Eric told me to look in the bedrooms while he cleared the rest of the apartment. I found them both empty and returned to find he'd abandoned the apartment, and in the minute I spent double-checking to make sure he wasn't there, the building collapsed. So… I don't think it was a miscommunication and I don't think I'm misremembering things."

"I don't think you are either," Chief Alonzo replied, and turned to Eric again. "Please tell us why you abandoned Firefighter Diaz."

Eric was silent, all eyes trained on him, until he finally said, "I never radioed him and we didn't have that discussion. I abandoned him without telling him I was leaving."

Eddie let out a trapped breath. Underneath the table, Buck's fingers wrapped around his wrist tightly, and Eddie glanced at him, shaking his head in a silent, _'Keep your mouth shut._ '

Chief Alonzo raised his eyebrows. "Why did you leave a fellow firefighter behind?"

Eric shrugged, on the verge of tears. "I've been having panic attacks… I panicked. The smoke was so thick. I started to think I wouldn't make it out. I just ran… I didn't even think of Eddie. I just ran."

Everyone was silent. Bobby finally said, "You know, if you'd just spoken up and told Buck and Eddie that you wanted to evacuate with Cameron, nobody would've questioned it, and none of this would have happened."

"You left a fellow firefighter behind to die," Chief Alonzo said quietly. "That's inexcusable."

Eric was nodding, his eyes filled with tears. "I know. I'm sorry." Beside him, Cameron was hanging his head, his shoulders hunched.

"They both could've died," Bobby said, gesturing to Buck and Eddie. "Buck had to go back inside to rescue Eddie. You nearly cost the lives of two people."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I thought I had a handle on it, and I didn't."

Everyone fell quiet, until Eddie said to him, "You could've just talked to me, man. I'm a father, and I'm the only parent my son has. You nearly took me away from _my_ kid."

Eric nodded, his lips trembling. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter how sorry you are. What matters is that your actions have consequences," Chief Alonzo said sharply. "I'm going to ask all three of you to return to your station, and I'll finish here and join you there later this afternoon."

All three exchanged a look. Eddie met Eric's eyes one last time, and then looked away from him in disgust. They filed out of the room, all three silent.

When they were alone, Chief Alonzo turned to Eddie and said, "I'm very sorry, Diaz. I'm sorry that one of our own left you behind. I hope your recovery is going smoothly."

Eddie nodded. "Thank you, Chief. Yeah, I'll be off work for a while with these broken ribs, but I'm okay."

"And your son? How's he going?"

At that he couldn't help but smile – Captain Alonzo's niece had CP as well. They'd chatted briefly about it while he was going through the academy. "Christopher's great," he replied. "He's in an excellent school, and he loves living in LA. How's your niece?"

"Oh, she's fine. She starts high school next year, which is always going to be a big challenge." Captain Alonzo smiled warmly at him, and then directed his gaze to Buck. "Buckley. I see you're on suspension for defying Captain Nash."

Buck sat up straight, his hand tightening on Eddie's wrist again. "Yes, sir."

"There was a fire in a theatre downtown about fifteen years ago," Captain Alonzo said. "My partner and I went in, and he fell through a hole in the floor into the basement. My captain ordered me out but I knew that if I was to leave him behind, they'd never find him, so I stayed and was able to rescue him. You remind me a lot of myself."

Buck swallowed nervously. "Is that a good thing?"

"Not always." Captain Alonzo consulted his notes. "Your suspension ends on Monday; you'll be back to work as normal. Good work, but don't make a habit of ignoring your captain. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Buck's actually been taking on a lot more responsibility," Bobby spoke up. "He has his eye on being a captain one day."

"Well, he'll be learning from the best," Chief Alonzo said. "Bobby, we'll finish in my office."

Bobby nodded, rising to his feet, and patted Buck on the shoulder before he left. As soon as they were alone, they turned to each other, letting out trapped breaths, and Buck whispered, "I fucking knew it."

"I know; so did I."

"He's going to get fired."

"So he should." Eddie's ribs were beginning to ache. "Let's get out of here. I need to ice my ribs again."

* * *

_And so an unjust firing cemented his decision. It was time to swing into action._

_They had no idea who the identity of the arsonist was, and so he would just have to make sure they were looking where he wanted them to look._

_Evan Buckley fit the bill – a cocky young upstart with a notorious history within the department. There was no way he'd able to pin anything on Diaz – no one would believe that the Silver Star recipient would be the arsonist, and he was practically worshipped by the higher-ups anyway. Aside from that, he was a single dad. He'd come from a broken home himself; he knew how hard it was. He wasn't going to make life any tougher for little Christopher._

_But Buckley… yeah. He could make that work._

_The guy was dumb enough that he'd probably admit to it anyway._

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Buck spent the next few days at Eddie's house, helping out with Christopher and around the house while Eddie recuperated. On the Sunday afternoon before work he stripped down to a pair of jean shorts and spent a couple of hours mowing and tidying up the yard, and he only realised Eddie had been watching when he put the mower away and strode up to the back door, dripping with sweat and covered in grass clippings.

Eddie was waiting for him, his eyes glittering, and Buck suddenly realised he'd unwittingly been the star of a private show. Christopher was distracted watching TV as Eddie led Buck into the bathroom, divested him of his shorts while distracting him with kisses, and joined him in the shower. Eddie was silent as Buck pressed hot kisses to his face, neck and collarbone, but just before he dropped to his knees, he whispered in his ear, "I like having you here. Stay a little longer?"

Buck nodded and kissed him again.

~

He was back in uniform and at work on Monday, driving the engine with Bobby at his side most of the day. For the first time in what felt like a long time, they weren't called out to any fires. He regretted not having Eddie there with him when they were called across town to find a girl stuck in a slide at a playground, which was for some kind of TikTok stunt – it was all Buck and Chimney could do to keep from laughing as they cut through the slide to free her.

That night, he returned to the loft briefly to grab some more clothes, and ran into Aaron in the lobby as he entered the building.

"Hey man," Aaron said to him – Buck had almost passed him by, intent on picking up dinner for Eddie and Christopher. "You're still crashing at your friend's place?"

Buck nodded, pressing the button for the elevator. "Yeah, probably through this week as well. He broke his ribs, so… doing anything is a struggle."

"Oh shit, that sucks," Aaron replied, shaking his head. "Well, I'll hit you up when you're back for that drink, okay? My shout. I saw that video of you leaping out of a building, like… I'll buy you a drink, for sure."

Buck chuckled awkwardly. "Okay, sure. Thanks. I'll see you around."

"Great." Aaron threw him a wave and headed out to the parking lot.

He'd have to find a way to get out of that – there was something about Aaron that creeped him out. Eddie would hit the roof about it anyway, but he decided to deal with it when he was actually living in the building again.

Buck headed up in the elevator to his apartment, double-checking to make sure he'd emptied the fridge of any perishables before filling a bag with some extra video games, and then heading up to the bedroom to grab some more clothes. Satisfied he had everything, he turned the lights out, made sure the apartment was locked and secured, and headed back down to the lobby, and then out to the car park.

Aaron was jogging towards him, and when they made eye contact, he rolled his eyes and held up his phone. "Forgot my headphones! I can't run without them," he said with a laugh.

"Don't you hate that," Buck replied good-naturedly. "Have a good run."

"Thanks, man." Aaron headed over to the building as Buck returned to his car, realising only as he arrived that he'd accidentally left it unlocked.

He'd only been gone five minutes, and nothing seemed to be missing, so he threw his bag onto the backseat and slid into the driver's seat to head home.

~

Buck had only been at work for ten minutes on a Thursday evening when the alarms began to blare. There was a fire at an abandoned house in Lincoln Heights, threatening other homes in the vicinity. Buck stepped into his gear and climbed into the back of the truck beside Chimney, pulling his gloves on as they headed to the location.

They'd been in the truck for five minutes when Chimney suddenly slapped at him to get his attention, grinning when Buck kicked a leg out. "How's Eddie?"

"Yeah, good," he replied into his headset. "Still stiff and sore; pissed off that he can't work out, but he seems happy enough being home with Christopher. Everyone's keeping them well-fed, I think his Abuela has been making food around the clock for him."

"And you," Chimney pointed out, exchanging a look with Hen. "Maddie says you were staying with them."

Buck shrugged. "The guy can't lift his hands over his head; you think he can do much of anything right now?" As they chuckled at him in response, he decided to lie, hoping to throw them off the scent (Hen, in particular, who missed absolutely nothing). "Anyway, I'm back at my place now. Got sick of sleeping on an air mattress in the living room. Christopher liked to bounce on it to wake me up." Lies, total lies.

They seemed to buy it, and laughed at him again. "I bet you're missing his grandmother's cooking, though. Remember that amazing dessert she brought in for us once? What was that called again?" Chimney asked him.

"Tres Leches cake," Buck replied. "She gave me her recipe; I can make it for you."

"Won't be as good," Chimney remarked.

Buck glared at him. "With an attitude like that, you won't be getting any."

"What about those tamales she made for Eddie's birthday?" Hen said. "They were _amazing_."

"Spicy," Chimney complained. "And I saw Eddie eating them like it was nothing."

"He's half-Mexican, what do you expect?" Buck teased him. "The man loves spicy foods. He adds it to everything. I swear to god he'd add chilli powder to pancakes if I let him. Christopher's almost as bad. This salsa thing they make, if they have tacos? The first time I had some my head nearly blew off."

Hen was grinning at him. "Yeah, but you're _white_ ," she replied. "You're not cut out for it. And also, can we talk about how cute it is that you make pancakes for Eddie and Christopher?"

_Oops_. Thinking quickly, Buck said, "Hen, he has broken ribs. I'm just taking pity on him."

"Oh, I'm sure," she teased, sharing a grin with Chimney. "We all know he's your favourite."

He couldn't help but shrug. "I love the guy," he said simply, just as they rolled to a stop at the scene of the fire. Conversation forgotten, they disembarked the engine, and leaping into action. The wooden house was almost totally engulfed, fire pouring out of shattered windows and smoke billowing into the sky. Bobby decided it was too intense for them to try to go inside, and instead they worked to contain the fire, training hoses on the house until the flames began to die down. It took nearly an hour for them to finally wrestle the blaze under control, and Buck was suiting up to head inside to check the structure when the roof caved in on the second floor.

Bobby said, "No, you're not going in. It's too unsafe. Do a check of the perimeter, radio back what you find."

Buck nodded, starting around the side of the house. The place was decayed; clearly vacant for years. He peered in the windows as he passed by, but all he could see was burnt furniture and rubble, and small spot fires here and there. The house creaked ominously, and as he rounded the back corner, he realised that the house was slowly folding in on itself, almost in slow motion.

There was a shed in the backyard, not connected to the main structure, and the double doors were open. Buck shone his flashlight into the opening and illuminated a person, who stopped moving and turned towards him. For a moment he had a flash of a horror movie, and of a zombie leaping out of the darkness at him - but suddenly the person began to stagger out of the shed, and it became clear that it was a different kind of zombie.

This person was clearly on some kind of substance, almost definitely out of their mind, and their disjointed gait turned into a run as they burst out from the shed and lunged at Buck with arms outstretched.

"Whoa!" he shouted, leaping out of the way, as the person – a man, skin and bones, in a ratty t-shirt and torn jeans, hit the ground. One side of his body was burned, but he was still clutching what looked like a pipe in his blistered fingers, and began to wail.

"You're okay," Buck said breathlessly, kneeling beside him. "It's okay, man."

"My _house_ ," he moaned, rolling onto his back to reveal a mouth with blackened teeth and gums, and bloodshot eyes. "My stash. My house."

"Help is on the way, buddy," Buck said, as Chimney emerged from the side of the house with a medical kit. "Here you go. Just hang in there."

Chimney dropped to his knees beside them, opening his kit, but the man suddenly began to thrash, screaming at them.

"Buck, restrain him," Chimney said urgently.

Buck grabbed the man by his shoulders, holding him to the ground, but he thrashed violently again and freed one arm long enough to slice Buck's left arm with a rusty blade. Buck swore, but managed to restrain him again, and Chimney gave him a sedative. The drug had an immediate effect, and the man let out a sigh and relaxed beneath Buck's hands.

"You okay?" Chimney asked him.

Blood was dripping down his arm beneath his coat. "No, he got me good."

"Looks like a Stanley knife. Show me?"

Buck pulled his sleeve up to reveal the jagged cut, and Chimney hissed. "Shit. You're going to need a tetanus shot and stitches. I've got this; head around to Hen so she can patch you up. Send the others around with a stretcher."

Buck did as he was told, and just after he reached the ambulance where Hen was waiting, the house let out one final groan and collapsed in on itself. Buck pulled his turnout coat off, holding out his arm, blood dripping from the gash and onto the dirt.

"Jesus," Hen gasped, grabbing his arm. "Come on. You're losing a lot of blood. We'll have to take you to the hospital."

Buck was feeling woozy as she tied a tourniquet around his arm to stop the blood flow. "Am I going to be die?"

"Not today, Buckaroo."

~~

Chimney was the one to call Eddie and let him know that Buck had been taken to hospital; that he'd been injured on a call and Maddie was going to be with him. Eddie sent Buck a message, but no reply came through, and he couldn't help but pace back and forth in the living room anxiously, waiting for his phone to ring or Buck's jeep to pull into the driveway. Christopher watched him with concern, trying and failing to get him pay attention to the movie they were watching.

When nothing had happened after an hour, he tried Buck's cell again, which went straight to voicemail, and then called Chimney again, who answered on the second ring. "Yeah, Eddie," he said. "Buck's all patched up, and Maddie's taken him home."

"He's not answering, and I was worried," Eddie said, his hand on his hip. "He's at the loft?"

"Yeah, man. He wasn't still staying with you, was he?"

He paused, and then said, "He's been crashing here some nights. Okay. I just wanted to know what was going on."

"Yeah, he lost some blood so he probably can't drive anywhere," Chimney replied. "He's all good though. Maddie was fussing over him when we left."

"I bet she was. Thanks, man." Eddie ended the call, heaving a sigh as he glanced at Christopher. "Should we go to the loft to see Buck?"

Christopher nodded enthusiastically. "Yep!"

"All right. Let's call an Uber."

~

They arrived at Buck's apartment building a little after 10pm, and Eddie spotted Maddie's car still parked in the visitor's bays. He and Christopher walked slowly up to the building, passing a younger guy in a pair of sweats, clearly out for a night-time jog. The young guy held the door open for them, and he and Eddie locked eyes briefly, as Christopher stepped over the threshold.

"Thanks," Eddie said to him.

"No worries, man." The guy gave him a lingering look, which made Eddie's stomach flip apprehensively – but he dismissed it and went to the elevators.

"Is Buck okay?" Christopher asked in a hushed voice, as the elevator carried them to Buck's floor.

"I'm pretty sure he is, but I want to make sure myself." Which meant that he was going to have to lie to Maddie about why they were there, but he'd just deal with it.

He led Christopher down the hall to Buck's apartment and knocked on the door. Maddie's distinctive laugh came from inside, and her eyebrows lifted in surprise when she opened the door. "Eddie! What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to check on the patient," Eddie said, tilting his head towards Christopher, who was beaming up at her.

"He's been trying to get me to go home for an hour," she complained, holding the door open so they could enter. "Hi Christopher! I haven't seen you in so long!"

Christopher nodded, but his eyes were on her visibly pregnant stomach. "Are you having a baby?"

She laughed. "Yes, I am," she said. "Do you want to feel? The baby might kick."

Christopher looked up at Eddie for confirmation, who nodded. "Yeah, you can. Maddie will show you what to do. Here, give me your crutches, and I'll hold your other hand."

Christopher did as he was told, and Maddie took his free hand and placed it on her tummy. Buck's footsteps sounded on the stairs, and he stopped at the bottom, locking eyes with Eddie.

"My phone died," Buck said by way of explanation. "I asked Chim to call you."

"Yeah, he did. We were just worried."

Christopher suddenly let out an excited gasp. "I felt it!"

"She's been kicking all night," Maddie said warmly. "Like crazy."

"She," Eddie repeated with a smile. "You found out?"

"Yeah, last week. I couldn't wait; I was too excited." She rubbed her stomach, and then glanced at Buck. "All right. I am going now that Eddie's here."

"Chim should be finished his shift; you should definitely head home," Buck replied. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, yeah. You're always getting yourself in trouble." Maddie grabbed her coat from the rack and shrugged into it. "What are we going to do with you two, huh? You're as bad as each other."

Eddie and Buck shared a look. "That's why we're best friends," Buck said with a shrug. "Chaos attracts chaos."

"Yeah, does it ever." Maddie ruffled Christopher's hair and then held her arms out so Buck could hug her, before heading out the door. "Good night!"

"Night," Buck replied, letting the door close before leaning against it and letting out a breath. "I'm sorry," he said to Eddie. "I was going to come straight to your place, but Maddie turned up at the hospital, and then they wouldn't let me leave on my own."

"Let me see," Eddie said quietly, and Buck held his arm out – wrapped in a bright white bandage. Eddie ran his fingers over it. "Stitches?"

"Yeah. Six."

"Are you off work?"

"Light duties only, apparently," he replied, rolling his eyes. "The stitches should come out in ten days."

"Okay. Are you coming home with us now?"

Buck smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great. I was going to get an Uber."

"Then let's get out of here," Eddie said, but couldn't help pulling Buck in for a hug. "I was worried."

"I know. I'm okay." Buck kissed his cheek lightly. "Come on; let's go."

Eddie ordered an Uber, and they traipsed out of the apartment, pausing so Buck could ensure it was locked. He then bent down and lifted Christopher up with his right arm, the crutches splayed awkwardly, and followed Eddie down the hallway to the lifts.

Eddie stepped in close to Buck as they descended, resting his hand on his lower back. "You okay?" he murmured again, and Buck nodded at him. "Sure?"

"Yeah, it was just some random, crazy guy. I didn't realise he had a blade." Buck leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips as the doors opened. "I'm all good."

It was then that Eddie realised the jogger from earlier was waiting in the lobby, and his eyebrows flew up with surprise when he spotted them in the elevator. "Buck," he said. "What a surprise."

Buck stiffened beside Eddie, and even Christopher lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. "Hey, man."

The jogger pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows, clearly unimpressed. "We were never going to grab that drink, were we?"

Buck shook his head. "No, man. I'm sorry," he said, leading them out of the elevator. "I've got a boyfriend."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" the jogger asked, following him determinedly. "What's wrong with you? Do you want to cheat or something?"

Buck stopped in his tracks, jaw clenched, and said, "We're not out."

"You still could've said no!"

"I was going to, but honestly man, you kinda creep me out and I just wanted to get away from you," Buck said sharply, angling Christopher away from the jogger, who was growing angrier by the second.

"Prick tease," the jogger spat at him, and with that, Eddie stepped in between them.

"That's enough," he said bluntly. "Leave us alone."

The jogger looked him up and down, sneering. "I could take you."

Eddie said calmly, "No, you couldn't. Back off."

There was a moment as they stood off against each other, but the jogger was the first to back down, striding over to the elevator and stabbing at the button. "Go," Eddie said to Buck, who carried a terrified-looking Christopher outside. Eddie followed them, one hand on Buck's shoulder, glancing behind him to make sure the jogger had actually entered the elevator, and they weren't being followed.

"I'm going to assume you didn't say no because you were trying to be polite," Eddie said to Buck, who nodded emphatically. "Don't do it again."

"I won't."

"Good. Let's go home."

~

Once Christopher was reassured and tucked into bed, Eddie led Buck into the main bedroom and sat him down on the bed, taking his left arm in his hands. "What was his name?" he asked quietly.

"Aaron."

"Next time, just say you're not interested." Eddie began to unwind the bandage from Buck's arm, intent on examining the wound for himself.

"Something about him gave me the creeps," Buck murmured.

"All the more reason to just say no." Eddie removed the last of the gauze and examined the jagged cut to Buck's forearm. "Jeez. Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, it's throbbing a bit. I was going to take Tylenol before I go to sleep."

Eddie nodded. "Good idea. Okay, I'll keep an eye on this and make sure it's clean. Did they give you a tetanus shot?"

"A booster."

"Good." Eddie pressed a kiss to the inside of Buck's wrist, and then began to wind the gauze around again.

Buck watched him silently, and then said, "I love you."

Eddie glanced at him. "I know. I love you too."

"I wasn't trying to cheat."

"No, I know. That guy gave me the creeps too. We saw him when we first came in."

Buck rested his head on Eddie's shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's okay. No misunderstandings here; I know why you said what you said." Eddie fastened a clip to hold the bandage in place and stood. "Help me get undressed."

"We're both really fucking battered right now, aren't we?" Buck asked wryly.

"Yeah. No wild sex for a while." Eddie let Buck remove his shirt, shivering as his fingers ghosted over the tape on his ribs.

Buck gave him a mournful look, pressing a kiss to Eddie's collarbone. "I'm sorry."

Eddie just shook his head. "I knew as soon as he said it what had happened," he replied reassuringly. "And besides, I know how much you love me. You were just trying to protect us; I know it."

"I was." Buck sucked a kiss into the curve of Eddie's neck, breathing him in deeply. "Eddie… I want you. I only want you. I'll make it up to you."

"What do you want?" Eddie murmured in his ear.

"You know what I want."

He nuzzled Buck's neck and whispered, "Yeah, okay."

"Okay?"

"Take it easy though."

"I will," Buck promised, undoing the top button of Eddie's jeans. "God, I want you so much."

"I know you do." Eddie tugged Buck's shirt over his head, wanting to put his hands all over his skin. Buck kissed him, sliding his hands down Eddie's back and into his jeans, grabbing and squeezing his ass.

They moved so Eddie was lying on his back on the bed, propped up on the pillows, and Buck pulled his jeans down his legs and off, sliding back up to wrap his lips around his stiffening cock. Eddie let out a breath, throwing his head back and twisting his fingers in Buck's curls.

They'd never slept together at his house before – not once in almost five months. Eddie closed his eyes, letting go of his worries and fears, and relaxed as pleasure slowly seeped in. Buck slicked up his fingers with lube and worked him open, and then braced himself on the bed as he carefully slid inside, mindful to avoid touching Eddie's tender ribs. Eddie pulled him down for a kiss, adjusting himself to take Buck in deeper, and let out an unintentional moan when Buck began to move.

"I've got you," Buck whispered, and Eddie nodded at him, hands locked around the back of Buck's neck. "I've got you; I'm never letting you go."

"Right back at you," he murmured, leaning in to kiss him again.

The one thing he'd figured out about himself – once he'd broken out on his own, away from his parents, away from old friends and the town he'd grown up in – was that intimacy with another person was only enjoyable when he felt something for them. One night stands had left him feeling empty and used. He'd only been with women before Buck – there was an element of control with a woman, that he was in charge, setting the pace, and he'd never wanted to give that up.

Not until Buck came along, anyway, and in Buck he had someone he could trust wholeheartedly; someone who was steadfastly on his side, who never dismissed him or made him feel bad about himself. He'd always worried that he wasn't _enough_ – a good father, a good husband, a good son – but he never felt that way with Buck. Buck made him feel safe and loved.

So he never would've trusted anybody else to do the things that Buck did to him so gently, careful not to bump his ribs, focused only on making Eddie feel good until he was begging for release – whispered pleas against soft lips, until Buck shifted the angle again, ground against his prostate over and over until Eddie was gasping and coming, arching off the bed. Buck followed with the sweetest kiss – so careful, always, and they traded kisses in the dim light of the room as they came down off a shared high.

Eddie hadn't been a good husband, but he wanted a second chance to prove himself. And it was as Buck was stroking his cheek with one extended finger that he thought clearly, _I want to spend the rest of my life with you._

And as if Buck could read his thoughts, he smiled, and kissed him again.

~~

Buck was off work for a few days, and then back to light duties. Two more suspicious fires occurred on his return to work, but as he was stuck at the station, he wasn't on hand to help fight them. One was at an abandoned warehouse near the harbour, and the other was to an empty house in Reseda.

The arsonist was still at large and as far as Buck was aware, they were no closer to figuring out who the person was. They talked about it at the station every so often, speculating if it was a firefighter and who it might be. Chimney was convinced it was Eric, and couldn't be talked out of it, even though Hen pointed out that if he was a suspect, they'd likely already investigated him and ruled him out after the apartment fire.

"I just don't think it's a firefighter," Buck said one afternoon, and Hen, Bobby and Chimney all turned to him with raised eyebrows. Rogers, Brighton and Vasquez were lounging around in the kitchen, half-chatting, half-listening to their conversation. "I don't get why a firefighter would do this. Like, we were looking at it on Google maps – the fires are all over the place. The same station doesn't respond every time."

"It's often the luck of the draw though, Buck," Bobby replied. "You know that."

"Yeah, but I don't get _why_ ," he said. "I mean, the job is demanding enough. How many fires were we attending without this arsonist? Like… if it's a thing about being a hero, there are plenty of chances."

"Maybe he wants to increase his odds," Hen said, sipping her coffee. "He wants his moment of glory."

"You don't know it's a he," Chimney said to her.

She gave him a disdainful look. "It's definitely a he; we all know that. Your fragile masculinity can't handle not being the hero."

"Buck's, maybe," Chimney muttered, jerking his thumb at Buck, who was offended.

"Me? I think you guys can give me a bit more credit than that. You know that's not why I do it. Not anymore, at least." He had too much to lose now – Eddie and Christopher, who were _everything._

"There was a guy in Seattle a few years ago who was lighting fires," Rogers said, wandering over to join them in the lounge. "They caught him pretty quickly – it turned out he was a rookie, only his first year on the job. Burned down a strip mall. Do you remember that?"

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, if I recall correctly they caught him in the woods behind the mall covered in burns – he nearly set himself on fire in the process."

"Yeah, and he got a couple of years in the slammer for his troubles." Rogers sipped his coffee, looking out over the station. "I think this guy's a firefighter. He's gotten away with it so far. Seems to know what he's doing. Maybe he feels like he's overshadowed or something; wants his time in the sun."

"Are you speaking from personal experience?" Hen asked him dryly.

He laughed. "No, you know I just want to go home to the wife and kids. Come on, Hen, lay off me. Brighton's the one who likes to attract the ladies."

"Hey, just because I like women doesn't mean I'm lighting fires in my spare time," he complained from the kitchen.

"What spare time? Aren't you professionally on Tinder these days?" Chimney teased him, and Brighton hooted out a laugh, holding up his middle fingers to Chimney, who grinned.

"Okay, okay," Bobby said good-naturedly. "Listen - whoever it is, they're smart, but they will make a mistake. I have no doubt the police will figure it out," he said confidently. "Athena's not part of the investigation but she's close with a few of the officers involved, and they already have a suspect. So that's promising. Hopefully, this will be resolved quickly."

~~

After the apartment fire, Eddie had made an appointment with his usual lawyer to re-draft his Will – he'd decided that if something were to happen to him, he'd need to make it clear that Christopher was to stay in Los Angeles with Buck as his primary caregiver. He had an appointment with his lawyer to sign the documents, and took an Uber to his office and then across town to his doctor for a check-up. He'd decided not to drive – his ribs were aching more than he thought they should be, and he wondered if he'd been doing too much.

The doctor confirmed his suspicions and ordered him to cut back on everything, including driving. Eddie agreed, and feeling disheartened, took an Uber to the station to see Buck, who was at the end of his shift. Buck could drive them home, but with Christopher at his Abuela's for a while, Eddie figured they could stop somewhere and grab a bite to eat. After he greeted everyone, Hen fussed over him for a while, wanting to take a look at the strapping on his ribs to make sure he was healing okay, but he managed to thwart her attempts.

"You know I've just been to the doctor and that I’m a medic, right," he said to her, as she glared at him with her hands on her hips. "I don't know if you know this, but I have been seriously injured before."

"And who took care of you then?"

"The army, and then Shannon, but I can take care of myself," he replied archly. "And besides, Buck has been entertaining Christopher for me."

"I have," Buck said proudly. "We started reading the Harry Potter books. Eddie _hates_ them."

"I don't hate them, I just think they're boring," Eddie complained.

"Oh you wait, this could be an obsession that lasts a lifetime," Hen predicted. "Once they fall in love with Harry Potter, there's no going back."

Pained, Eddie turned to Buck accusingly, who said, "Hey, it was his idea! There are worse things to be obsessed with!"

"Yeah, yeah," Eddie muttered. "Come on, let's get out of here before Hen makes me feel worse."

Hen laughed at him gently and patted his back. "Can't wait until you're back at work, Eddie. Only a few more weeks."

"Yeah, it's been weird to be off for so long," he replied. "Looking forward to life going back to normal, that's for sure."

He and Buck left soon after, and it was Buck who suggested they swing into Eddie's favourite burger joint for a bite to eat before collecting Christopher. Eddie agreed readily, and Buck drove them to the restaurant, which was in the valley, and not so much a restaurant as it was a small shack with outdoor seating.

Buck hated the place – he thought it was creepy, but he'd always agreed with Eddie that the food was great. Still, the décor left something to be desired. Eddie wasn't sure whose idea the clowns were, but they didn't add to the appeal of the place. As they stood in line, Buck cast a suspicious look at the plaster clowns, and then murmured, "In-N-Out is right down the street."

"This place is better."

"This place is a nightmare."

They ordered their food and went to sit at a table outside. The first mouthful was like heaven – just the right amount of spice, flavour and grease. Buck was devouring a chicken sandwich across from him, and his silence was all Eddie needed to know.

"This place is better," Eddie said to him again, taking a fry from the bowl between them. "You know it."

"I hate the clown," Buck said through a mouthful of food, casting a suspicious look at the mottled plaster clown near the door. "It's evil."

"Okay." A smile played on Eddie's lips, and he kicked Buck's foot under the table. "How was work?"

"Boring. I can't wait to get these stitches out." Buck held up his bandaged arm, rolling his eyes. "A week to go."

"I'll have a look at it when we get home," Eddie replied. "Put some antiseptic on it for you."

"Okay." Buck smiled at him gratefully. "Hey, I love you, even though your taste in burger joints is questionable."

"Glad you can see past that one flaw of mine," Eddie teased him. "And I love you too."

Buck's eyes were sparkling, but suddenly the colour drained from his face, and he sat up straight. "Eddie—"

"Hey guys," Eric Murphy said, sliding into the empty seat beside Buck. Cameron Taylor stood behind him awkwardly, twisting his hands together. "Nice to see you both again."

Buck glared at him. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he replied, taking an empty seat at the table. "Try to get you to understand my side of it. I really didn't think you'd get hurt, Eddie."

Buck shook his head. "We're not interested, man. You guys can take off."

Eric held up his hands, appealing for them to listen to him. "I wanted to talk to you because I'm appealing my firing. I've hired lawyers to take my case and they think I have a good shot at winning. Unlawful termination."

Eddie furrowed his brow, confused, but Buck's anger was instant. "You left a man behind to die," Buck hissed. "You left my best friend behind!"

"And that was due to the trauma I suffered as a child, and not my fault," Eric replied. "I panicked. The Department didn't take into account my feelings—"

"You confessed that you left Eddie behind!" Buck argued. "You don't get to change your mind now and say that you were hard done by. Do you really think anyone is ever going to want to work with you again? If I found out that you were on my team, I'd ask for you to be removed. You're not cut out for this job."

"That's not your call. The lawyers will sort this out," Eric replied.

Buck was still spluttering, but Eddie couldn't help but notice a woman standing awkwardly off to the side, listening to their conversation – she looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place her.

"Eddie," Eric said suddenly, tapping the table. "My lawyers want to ask you some questions—"

_What the fuck._ "I'm not talking to your lawyers, or anyone," Eddie said flatly. "You can speak to the Chief and probably get transcripts of my interviews from the Department, but I'm not speaking to your lawyers or helping you. You do what you want, man. If you think you've been hard done by, that's your call, but you know what happened, and so do I. And I don't think you're going to win."

Cameron tapped Eric on the shoulder. "Dude, we should go—"

"You can go," Eric said to him sharply. "I want to talk to these guys."

Cameron let out a sigh, shaking his head, pausing momentarily before turning and wandering away. Eddie turned his attention back to Eric. "Listen, if you've got mental health problems or something—"

"Oh, don't patronise me, Diaz," Eric said, rubbing his forehead. "You know I made a mistake. It wasn't big enough to fire me over."

Buck hissed, but Eddie said sharply, "You left me for dead."

"I didn't know it was going to collapse."

"Fine, but you still _left me_ ," Eddie said emphatically. "You could've radioed, and you didn't, and Buck and I nearly died. I don't think you'll win your lawsuit but good luck, man."

"For the record, I think you're a dick," Buck said bluntly. "And you can tell your lawyers that."

"Haven't you got lawyers on retainer, Buckley?" Eric said dryly. "Surprised you didn't sue the Department over your little accident there. Cut yourself shaving?"

"Fuck you," Buck retorted. His bandage was sticking out from under his shirt sleeve.

"Where do you think I got the idea?" Eric asked, arching his eyebrows at Buck, who flinched.

Eddie cut in with a sharp, "Eric, please go. Seriously, man. I don't know what you're getting out of this, but you have to know that we're not gonna help you."

They gave each other a long look, and Eric finally nodded, rising to his feet. "Okay. Whatever," he replied. "See you around, Diaz."

Eddie was silent, watching as he walked over to the woman waiting for him – his wife, maybe? - and disappeared into the carpark. He let out a sigh, glancing at Buck, and found him blinking rapidly, his face screwed up, trying to control his emotions. "Hey," Eddie said, taking his hand. "It's okay."

"It's not. I'm never going to live it down; ever."

"He's just being a jerk," Eddie replied, lifting Buck's hand to his lips, and kissing his knuckles. "He knows he hasn't got a hope in hell; he's probably just trying to salvage his pension or something. Maybe get a payout. We'll just ignore it, okay?"

Buck nodded, chewing on his lower lip, and then leaned in to kiss Eddie's cheek. "Okay."

Eddie slid an arm around his shoulders, and looked down at their now-cold food. "Ugh. Let's get out of here. We'll pick up Christopher and get some ice cream."

"And waffles," Buck suggested.

"Whatever you want." Eddie bundled up their trash and rose to his feet. "Let's go."

It was only as they were at the car and Eddie had the passenger side door open that he realised Buck hadn't used his key. "Hey, does this thing magically have keyless entry? Did you lock it?"

Buck slid into the driver's seat, holding up the key. "I think the battery is dying on this thing. It happened a few weeks ago as well. I'm sure I hit the button."

They both looked around the car. "Nothing's missing," Eddie said, shrugging at him. "We'll just double-check next time."

"Yep." Buck shoved the key into the ignition, but didn't start the engine. He stared at the burger joint, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, and said, "I hate being made to feel guilty for something that's not my fault. And he's trying to twist this around on you."

"I don't care what he does," Eddie replied honestly. "He's not going to win, and he knows it. He admitted fault in that meeting. I could be angry, but I'm more grateful that you were there to save my life when I needed you the most. There's nobody I trust more than you, Buck."

Buck swallowed hard, tears glistening in his eyes. "There's nobody I trust more than you, too."

"So he can do what he wants, but it doesn't matter. I'm alive, thanks to you, and… we have a whole future together, if that's… something you'd want," he said delicately. "Because you know… I'm all in with you."

Buck smiled brightly. "I want that," he agreed, letting out a trapped breath. "I want you."

"So let's go pick up the kid, get some ice cream and forget about that idiot." Eddie leaned in to press a kiss to his lips, and when they parted, he ran his thumbs over Buck's eyebrows, and then kissed his forehead again. "You're my guy, and I love you so much."

Buck's eyes lit up. "I love you too," he said meaningfully. "Both of you are mine."

"We know." Eddie brushed his lips against his birthmark and then pulled away, gazing at him seriously. "You should talk to Bobby and tell him about that little run-in, though. He'll want to know."

Buck nodded. "Good plan. I'll tell him tomorrow."

~~

Buck had planned to speak to Bobby about it as soon as he arrived at work the next morning, but that plan was almost immediately forgotten as the sirens began to blare and they were called to a potential fire in a hotel downtown. Buck was even allowed to accompany them for the first time since his injury, and so their run-in with Eric disappeared from his mind as he swung into action.

It turned out to be relatively minor – the hotel's fire system was working perfectly, and had almost immediately located the source of the problem. A woman on the 12th floor had left her hair-straightener on, which ignited a bath towel, but the alarms and sprinkler system were all in perfect working order and the fire was immediately extinguished.

Still, the building was evacuated and they had to ensure there were no other sources of fire, so they were at the scene for over an hour, and then immediately called down to the marina, where two pleasure boats had collided and there were multiple injuries.

That day was one of those rare days with back-to-back-to-back calls across the city. They barely had a chance to breathe, let alone sit down to speak, and by the time Buck was finished for the day he was exhausted. He drove to Eddie's, parked his car behind Eddie's truck, trudged inside and collapsed onto the couch, listening as Christopher and Eddie argued playfully about Harry Potter.

Buck watched them and thought, _I'm home._

* * *

_It was becoming increasingly clear that if he wanted to shift the target of the investigation directly to Evan Buckley, he would have to do something big. Something unforgettable._

_Something so close to the 118 that they would have to respond._

_He and the guys had often talked about Warehouse Oblique, which was occupied by a bunch of ratty-haired art students, hippies and musicians, all living in a commune. It was kind of the running joke – "hey, has anyone lit a match near Oblique?" – because the place was literally a disaster waiting to happen. No fire exits, no sprinkler systems and most likely no fire extinguishers; the interior of the place was built with wood and filled with kindling._

_He'd never been inside, but he'd seen pictures. It was a rabbits' warren, just waiting to be set alight._

_And so he found out when Buckley would be working a Friday night shift, and the wheels were set in motion. No turning back._

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger warning** for a description of a fire at a warehouse and a lot of people dying (right at the start of the chapter)

Over the next two weeks, there were three more suspicious fires, all during shifts where Buck, Hen, Chimney and Bobby were working. They responded to the first – another abandoned house – but they were already out on calls when the other two were called in.

Buck's stitches came out and his arm was almost completely healed, though Eddie tended to it each night after work, massaging cream into the ugly scar. If anybody had an idea that Buck and Eddie were more than just friends, nothing was said to him – though he was sure that nobody realised he was spending every night at Eddie's house. He hadn't even told Maddie.

The culmination of a long, hard week at work came on the Friday night, an hour into their shift, when a warehouse occupied by artists went up in flames, only six blocks from the station. The 118 were first on the scene, and as people poured out of the one exit of the building – some smoking, and some in flames – Buck realised that this was going to be extremely bad. He momentarily wished Eddie was there with him, but steeled himself for the worst, and swung into action with Chimney by his side.

Hen was running triage, and she was off at a sprint with her medical kit. Bobby stayed behind to organise the response, but Buck suited up beside Chimney, and they both entered the building through the front entrance, four other firefighters from the 118 at their heels – Rogers, Brighton, Vasquez and Donaldson.

The place was an inferno. The inside had mostly been built with wood, as a kind of living art installation, and everything was on fire. There were people screaming from somewhere in the bowels of the building, but where they were, Buck had no idea.

He'd never seen anything so hopeless.

Chimney took a few steps forward, and then shook his head, calling Bobby on the radio. "Cap, we're going to die in here. The place is completely out of control. We can hear people, but we have no visual – we don't know where anyone is. We might try the other side, but we can't get in this way."

Bobby's response was immediate. "Evacuate, and go around the back of the building, and see what you can see."

"Copy that." Chimney waved everyone back out, and Buck cast one last look at the nightmare inside the warehouse before following him outside.

"Have you ever seen anything like that?" Rogers asked him breathlessly, a look of horror on his face. "How are we supposed to get in there?"

"I have no idea," Buck replied, trying to quell his rising sense of dread. "Maybe it's not as bad—"

His voice cut off as they rounded the side of the building, and it was there that they came across an even more horrifying sight – victims, trying desperately to escape via the windows, had fallen from the second storey of the warehouse and landed on the concrete below.

Buck came to an abrupt stop, gasping, as Chimney called Bobby again frantically. "Send more medics around this side – everyone you have. We have multiple victims with serious burns and crush injuries."

"Copy that," Bobby replied.

"Oh my god," Buck heard Brighton groan. He glanced over to find his teammates wearing matching expressions of horror, and was inwardly relieved that he wasn't the only one affected by the hopelessness of the scene.

Chimney turned to them, fighting his emotions. "Listen to me," he said, clearing his throat. "We're going to try to go in through the side down here. It's going to be bad. If you want to stay out here and help these people, you can. No judgement."

Vasquez and Donaldson raised their hands, and immediately turned to start helping the people on the ground. Chimney looked at Buck and said, "You okay, Buckaroo?"

Buck nodded, and even though he was living it, and going through the motions, he just knew that this night was going to be the one to give him nightmares, possibly for the rest of his life.

And in some ways, he was glad Eddie wasn't there.

They continued moving. Screams could still be heard from inside, people wailing and pleading for their lives. There were another group of bodies on the ground near the rear entrance of the building, and Rogers and Brighton stopped to check on the victims, calling for back-up. Buck glanced over to where several engines and ambulances were pulling up to the scene, and then turned to follow Chimney to the door at the back of the warehouse. There was a padlock on it, and Chimney stepped aside while Buck used bolt-cutters to open it. They yanked the door open, and black smoke billowed out, followed by a stream of frantic survivors.

And then, inside, bodies on the floor – people crushed and trampled. Further inside, more people, overcome with smoke exhaustion, and deeper still, the ones who were covered in burns.

Rogers and Brighton appeared at the doorway and followed them in, their flashlights lighting up the charred interior of the building. "Chim, we'll start getting people out," Rogers said into his radio.

"Copy that," Chimney replied. "We're going to see how far in we can get. Come with me, Buck."

The fire had already burned through the back part of the warehouse, leaving the charred and smoking wooden superstructure behind. The inferno was still raging at the front of the building, and the roof was gone, smoke billowing up into the night sky.

Buck surveyed the room, and then grabbed Chimney's arm before he could take a step forward. The building was groaning and creaking around them, and they stood and listened, trying to hear human voices.

"I don't feel good about this," Chimney said to Buck, who nodded in agreement. "This place is going to collapse. We need to get everyone out."

"Yep, copy that," Buck said, and just as he was turning to follow Chimney back out to the exit, he spotted movement in the rubble. A teenage girl, covered in soot, was emerging from underneath a metal table. She looked around, confused, her dress in tatters and burns on her legs and hands.

"Chim, stop," he said, and pointed to her. "I'll go."

Chimney grimaced, shaking his head slightly. "Jesus, Buck – be careful. I don't want to have to tell Maddie – or Eddie – that you died in this place, all right?"

"Yep," he replied, and started gingerly across the weakened floor to where the girl was standing. "Just stay there, all right? I'm coming to get you."

She was trembling violently, and as he drew closer, he realised that she was covered in burns. "What's your name?" he called to her, taking each step slowly, watching where he put his feet.

"Dottie." Her voice was hoarse. "My friends… they left me."

"Dottie, it's going to be okay," he said, close enough to touch her. "Can you walk?"

She looked down at her feet, and then back at him wordlessly. He took a glance, and that was enough. There wasn't much left.

"Okay," he said, carefully lifting her into his arms. "Come with me."

As he carried her out through the blackened building, he realised that she was going to die. She'd survived the inferno, somehow, but she'd practically been cooked. Her skin was peeling before his very eyes, and her body felt soft and limp in his arms.

Chimney was waiting for him, and he took one look at Dottie and shook his head.

She was dead before they left the building.

~~

Eddie watched the fire play out on TV. He put Christopher to bed early and sat on the couch, his fists clenched, watching his teammates swarm the building and start carrying survivors out, one-by-one.

The helicopters hovering over the scene were focused on the rear of the building when a figure that was unmistakeably Buck exited, a woman in his arms – she was dead, Eddie could see that, and they quickly cut away.

Buck was going to be _traumatised_. Eddie watched the rest of the coverage, silently worrying about his partner, checking his phone every so often. It was after midnight, and Buck wouldn't be home until the following afternoon. Eddie decided that the whole team would need a boost in the morning, so he messaged Athena, Karen and Maddie, who were all still awake, and put a plan in motion.

~

He arrived at the station at 9am, Christopher at his side. He was carrying two bags filled with doughnuts – Karen, Maddie and Athena were already there, cooking up a feast in the kitchen. Denny and Nia were on the couches with the television playing cartoons. Both the fire engine and ladder truck were still out, and the station was quiet.

"They had an early call-out this morning," Athena said to him, as he jogged up the stairs to leave the bags at the top. "I arrived just as they were leaving. As far as I know, they're all pretty tired, but we'll make sure they've got food in their bellies and fresh coffee."

Eddie nodded at her. "I'll just get the team morale booster." He went back down to pick up Christopher, holding him on his left side away from his still-healing ribs, and carried him up to the balcony. Christopher sat down with the other kids to watch TV, and Eddie went to help the women in the kitchen.

It was another half an hour before the trucks returned, backing into the station, and as everyone piled out he heard Chimney ask, "Jeez, what smells so good?"

Maddie called from the balcony, "Breakfast is ready, and you've all earned it. Get up here."

"Maddie!" Chimney shouted happily, breaking away from the pack and taking the stairs two at a time. "You did all this?"

"Eddie's idea," she said, pulling him in for a kiss. "We know you had a rough night."

Everyone trickled up one-by-one, the mood sombre. Eddie spotted Buck disappear into the locker rooms, checked to make sure Christopher was okay – Bobby had sat down with him, nodding with interest at whatever Christopher was telling him – and then hurried down the stairs to follow him.

He found Buck in the showers, seated on a bench near the wall, staring at the floor. Eddie made sure they were alone and kneeled in front of him, taking both his hands. "Are you okay?"

Buck shook his head. "No. You saw it?"

"Yeah, I was watching the live coverage." Eddie rubbed Buck's hands. "You don't have to talk about it. You don't have to go upstairs. We can just sit down here in silence if that's what you want."

Buck was silent for a moment, and then murmured, "She just… fell apart, in my arms. Like…"

Eddie sucked in a breath, squeezing his hands.

"Her name was Dottie, and she just… died. In my arms. She was only a kid. Sixteen, maybe…" he shook his head slightly. "And there were so many people, just… I've never… I knew what this job meant and I knew it could be bad, and I knew one day… but… I just…"

"I know; I understand." Eddie moved to sit beside him, sliding an arm around his shoulders. "You don't have to talk. We can be silent together. It's okay."

Buck looked at him for the first time, gratefully, and whispered, "I wish I had one of those Men in Black flashy things to wipe my brain."

Eddie nodded, lightly stroking his cheek. "I know. I do too."

Buck sighed, moving so his head was on Eddie's shoulder, closing his eyes. "Fuck, Eds."

"I know." Eddie rubbed his back reassuringly. "I love you. I've got you."

"I love you too."

~

Buck perked up a little when they finally made it upstairs, simply by laying eyes on Christopher, who gave him the biggest, brightest smile. He went to sit with him on the couch, and Christopher immediately passed over his crayons and a colouring book, and they sat there together, talked and coloured quietly.

Everyone was giving Buck space – there were no jokes at his expense. Eddie eventually coaxed them over to the table and sat across from them, catching up with the rest of the team, making sure that Buck was eating and drinking in addition to the colouring-in. He caught Maddie smiling at him from time to time, and he guessed she was happy that someone was taking care of her brother.

Bobby disappeared halfway through their breakfast feast, and it was only as everyone had dispersed and only their group remained on the balcony that he returned, a grave expression on his face.

"Maybe the kids should watch TV again for a little while," he suggested. "Is that okay?"

"Dad?" Christopher asked hopefully.

Eddie nodded. "Sure, let's get you set up."

He and Karen settled Christopher, Denny and Nia on the couch with Spongebob playing on TV, and then re-joined the group, who were all milling around anxiously. Buck was still colouring, working on an underwater scene, his head resting on one of his hands.

"So I had a call from the Chief," Bobby said quietly, leaning on the back of a dining chair. "They're confident that last night's fire was the work of the arsonist, and they think it's someone from our station."

Eddie took a deep breath, folding his arms across his chest nervously. Everyone was exchanging glances, and Buck set down his crayon and sat back in his chair, looking over at Eddie unhappily.

Athena was frowning deeply, her hands on her hips. "Obviously they're close to making an arrest. I don't think the Chief should've tipped you off about this."

"No, and he said as much, but he thinks they're wrong. Apparently they have a few suspects in mind; people whose rosters line up with when the fires were started. He wouldn't give me any names, but… I have a fair idea who one of the possible candidates might be, judging from what he said to me on the phone." Bobby's eyes settled on Buck, who sat up straight.

"Me?" he asked, his voice cracking. "I haven't – I've – it's not me, I would never—"

"We know that," Bobby cut in. "But they don't."

Eddie stepped forward protectively. "So we hire a lawyer or something," he suggested.

"They haven't pressed any charges yet, Eddie, and I don't know for sure."

"But you're confident enough to say something to us, which means that you want Buck to be prepared if it does happen," Eddie continued. "So we'll get him a lawyer right now."

"Lawyers can make you look guilty," Chimney murmured.

"They can also protect your ass and argue on your behalf when you haven't done anything wrong. We all know that this is bullshit."

"I'm with Eddie," Maddie spoke up. "We get on top of this right now."

"No, you all need to wait and see what happens here," Athena said authoritatively. "Now listen – I'll ask around; see what I can find out. I'm not a fan of the detective running the case, but I can ask one of his offsiders for the information. If they do think it's Buck, there must be a reason why."

Buck was on the verge of tears. "I've done nothing wrong," he said hoarsely. "I don't know – why would anyone think it was me? I just…"

"Maybe because you're single and you wouldn't have an alibi," Hen suggested.

Buck's lips were trembling. "Oh great, I'll get the blame because I'm single. Awesome."

"You're not getting the blame for anything," Eddie said sharply. "We'll get you a lawyer."

"Don't do that yet," Athena warned. "I'm serious, Eddie. If they pull Buck in for questioning – yes, get him a lawyer. But not before. It's bad optics. Let me find out what I can, and then you start panicking. That goes for all of you."

Eddie met Buck's eyes again, and then said, "Okay. Fine."

~

It wasn't fine. As soon as he and Christopher arrived home, he immediately began researching different lawyers around town and compiled a list of potential candidates, just in case. He stopped short of contacting any of them, but sent the list through to Maddie as well.

Buck walked through the door at 6pm, the picture of total and complete exhaustion. Eddie had dinner ready for him, and sat him down at the table and forced him to eat, before sending him for a shower and then to bed. He left Christopher watching TV and joined Buck in the bedroom, watching as he wearily crawled under the covers.

Eddie perched on the edge of the bed, brushing his fingers through Buck's hair gently. Buck gazed up at him miserably. "Bobby said I need to take a few days off," he murmured. "They want to see if the fires stop when I'm not there. Eddie, they're going to arrest me, I know it."

"You didn't do it, and you have an airtight alibi," Eddie replied. "Me. You and I haven't spent a night apart in weeks."

"They don't know that, and they'll say we did it together."

"Oh and I just took Christopher with us while we went around lighting fires? They'll believe me, because there is no other evidence tying you to this. Nothing," Eddie said emphatically. "And if they do come after you, I'll get you a lawyer so fucking fast."

Tears glistened in Buck's eyes. "I'm scared."

"It's going to be okay." Eddie made sure he was tucked in, and then said, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, but in case they come to the station and take you in for questioning, there are some things you need to do. You don't speak except to accept the Miranda rights, and to say you want a lawyer. Other than that, your mouth is shut, no matter what they say to you."

Buck nodded. "That won't make me look guiltier?"

"No. Whatever you say can be used against you in court," Eddie replied, "and they can twist your words against you. It's best not to say anything at all. You've done nothing wrong."

"I know, which is why I don't think I need a lawyer," he said quietly. "I could just talk to them and explain—"

"No, absolutely not." Eddie took his hands. "You have the right to a phone call and an attorney. You'll call me or Maddie. We will organise the lawyer for you."

"You're saying this like you think it's actually going to happen."

"It might happen, and you need to be prepared." Eddie said gently. "Maddie and I have a list of lawyers who are experts in this sort of thing."

"But the Department—"

"I don't trust them. Not after the lawsuit and everything," Eddie replied. "I'm scared they won't have your back when you need them, but I will always have your back, and Maddie will too."

Buck nodded slowly. "Okay."

"And I know you're exhausted," he said gently, as Buck's eyes welled up again. "A few days off will do you good, so get some sleep. If you feel like having a quiet day tomorrow where we just watch some movies, that's okay. We can do that. As soon as I put Christopher to bed, I'll come in here with you."

"Okay," Buck whispered. "That sounds good."

Eddie leaned in and kissed him firmly. "Everything will be okay," he whispered. "I've got you."

Buck gripped his arms, holding him close. "I know."

~

The cause of the warehouse fire was deemed to be arson, and over fifty people lost their lives in one of the worst mass-casualty events in Los Angeles history. Buck was off work for a few days, and even booked in to see Frank, trying to pull himself out of his funk.

There were two fires while he was off work, both with suspicious origins, but the 118 didn't respond to either of them. The only other strange thing that happened while Buck was at home was the grey sedan that parked across the street from them – Eddie noticed it the first day was home, but as soon as he went out to investigate, the driver pulled away.

He saw the same car twice more, but couldn't ID the driver, and Buck was none-the-wiser. When Buck returned to work, the grey car disappeared. Weirdly, he almost hoped it was the police – if the two fires were lit by the same arsonist, at least they'd have confirmation that Buck hadn't left Eddie's house.

Buck had been back at work for three days when Eddie received a frantic phone call from his sister, Adriana – their father had suffered a heart attack and had to have emergency surgery.

He hadn't been back to El Paso in two and a half years, but there was a chance his father wouldn't make it, and he'd have to make the trip. His Abuela wanted to fly out, and so Eddie booked their flights and began to pack some bags, attempting to call Buck at the station. There was no answer, so he guessed they were out on a call.

He decided to swing by the station after picking up his Abuela, and once he arrived, the trucks were just pulling in. "I'll be right back," Eddie said to his Abuela and Christopher, leaping out of the car and hurrying over to greet them. Buck was climbing out of the engine, and stopped abruptly when he spotted Eddie. "Hey, I need to talk to you," Eddie called, gesturing for Buck to follow him out the front.

"Everything okay, Eddie?" Bobby asked, following Buck out of the truck.

"Not really – my father had a heart attack and has to have emergency surgery, so we're flying out to El Paso today," he said. Buck's eyebrows flew up with surprise. "I just need to talk to Buck before we go to the airport."

"Is your dad okay?" Bobby asked worriedly, as Hen and Chimney joined their huddle.

He shook his head. "My sister told me he's not doing well at the moment, but they're prepping him for surgery to remove the blockage. If something goes wrong… I have to be there."

"Of course," Hen said sympathetically. "That's awful, Eddie. Text us the hospital so we can send through some flowers, all right?"

He nodded. "I will. Buck?"

"Yeah, I'm coming," Buck said softly, and followed him out of the station.

They stood under the shade of a tree, gazing at each other. Eddie wanted to touch him, to reassure him, but there were too many onlookers, and so he said, "This is the last thing I want to be doing right now. I know you're not… in any state to be alone."

"I'll be okay," Buck murmured.

Eddie swallowed hard. "I know you're going to struggle," he said. "So here's what we're going to do. You're going to call me when you finish work, and we're going to stay on the phone to each other, even if we're not talking."

Buck actually managed to smile, and said, "That’s not necessary."

"It is," Eddie said firmly, and discreetly took his hand. "But if you don't want to talk, that's okay. You can call me and we can do whatever you want."

"You're coming back, right?"

He nodded firmly. "Yes. This will only be for a few days. Dad is going to be fine; I know it."

"Tell them I'm thinking of him… or you probably can't say that, because…"

"It's okay; I'll lump you in with everyone else." Eddie pulled him in for a hug, ignoring the fact that his ribs were still tender. "I love you. _I love you._ Call me whenever you need me."

"I love you too, Eddie," Buck whispered.

"You should stay at our place," he said. "In our bed. I don't want you going back to the loft by yourself; not with that weird neighbour of yours hanging around."

Buck smiled at him, his eyes filling with tears. "Our place?"

Eddie nodded. "Ours," he confirmed. "Just stay there and I'll be back before you know it."

"I'll take good care of it."

"I know you will, but don't eat all my chocolate-covered pretzels."

Buck let out a laugh. "I don't know where you've hidden them, and now I want to track them down."

"You better not." Eddie desperately wanted to kiss him. He looked around to make sure they were alone, pulled Buck back and up against the building, and kissed him firmly.

Buck was on the verge of tears when they parted. "Come home to me," he begged. "Please."

"I will; I promise." Eddie cupped his face, smiling at him affectionately. "It's only a few days. Don't get into any trouble, and if they come after you, remember what I said. Call me or Maddie."

"I will."

"Okay. I gotta go." Eddie kissed him again quickly. "I love you."

"I love you." Buck said again, squeezing his arm. "I'll be okay; I promise."

~

The flight to El Paso was mercifully short, and they landed just before sunset. Eddie hired a car at the airport and drove them to the hospital, where they met up with his sisters, Adriana and Sophia, in the waiting room. After the initial greetings, Eddie distracted Christopher with his iPad, and then sat down with them in a corner of the room, his Abuela by his side.

"They're talking about a triple bypass," Adriana said, wiping her eyes with a tissue. "He just collapsed in front of us; it was terrifying."

"Jesus," he murmured. "Had he been having any other symptoms?"

"I noticed he's been short of breath a few times, but any time I questioned him about it, he got defensive," Sophia replied. "So I figured he knew better than I did. And Mom told me to stop being ridiculous."

"That sounds like Mom. She's in with him now?"

"Yes, but they're taking him for surgery in an hour or so." Adriana checked her watch anxiously. "We'll go down and see him now. Be prepared, Eddie – he doesn't look great."

~

Eddie hardly recognised his father, who was pale and weak, hooked up to various machines. "Hi, Eddie."

"Hi, Dad," he replied, taking his hand and squeezing it lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay," he said. "How's Christopher?"

"He's in the waiting room. I'll bring him in soon." Eddie took a seat beside the bed, leaning in close to him. "Are you in pain?"

He shook his head. "No, they've got me on some good painkillers. Are you recovering well after your accident at work?"

"I'm okay. Still stiff and sore but back to work in a few weeks, hopefully."

He nodded, looking over at Helena, who was standing at the end of the bed. "Eddie, I might not make it."

"You can't think like that—"

"No, no. I'm realistic. This is the big one, and the doctors have already told me that I might not make it through surgery." He closed his eyes briefly, and then said, "And with your accident at work, it got us thinking about what would happen to Christopher."

He sat back, shaking his head. "This is not the time or place to be worried about that."

"No, but it is," he replied, clearing his throat. "Obviously, your mother would want to take him, first and foremost. We assume you have documents in place that name us—"

"I have documents in place but they don't name either of you," he said quietly but firmly, and they shared a surprised look. "Christopher has family in LA. I have arrangements in place."

"But Eddie—"

"Dad, you're in hospital, and you're about to go through surgery, and you're still worried about whether I'm doing the right thing by my son," he said gently. "My focus is always Christopher. Number one. If I'd died, he would be in safe hands, but I’m not going anywhere. So you can stop worrying about it."

"Of course, Eddie. There's no reason to get upset," his mother said.

Eddie shot her a sharp look. "I'm not upset."

"It's just that you have a very dangerous job," she added. "And we worry."

"Ah, that's funny, because I know my Captain let you know that I was injured, and I didn't hear from you," he replied. "So… maybe you're not so much worried about me as you are about Christopher, and that's fine. But I'm his father, and I've made appropriate arrangements for him. You don't need to worry about that."

"You could tell us who you've appointed," Ramon suggested, and then let out a hoarse cough. "For our own peace of mind."

He'd appointed Buck, but that revelation would go down like a lead balloon, so he said, "Someone I trust. That's all I'll say. Dad, focus on yourself right now, okay? Don't worry about Christopher and I. We're fine."

~

Ramon went in for surgery at 8am the next morning, and the family awaited news in the waiting room. Eddie sat down with Christopher and began to read the second Harry Potter book with him, curled up together on a couch, his phone on his lap in case Buck needed to call.

They'd spoken for a few hours the night before and Buck was doing okay on his own. He'd heard nothing about any progress on the investigation, and when it was brought up, Bobby didn't have any fresh information. Eddie hoped that they'd figured out Buck wasn't their guy and tried to put it out of his mind.

~~

While Eddie was at the hospital with his family, Buck was working a busy shift – spending most of the morning at a pile-up on the 405 freeway before heading across town in the afternoon to fight a house fire where thankfully all of the occupants had escaped in time.

He was coping better than he thought would, following the warehouse fire and with Eddie and Christopher both being out of town. He'd had a session with Frank to talk everything through – not his favourite pastime, but Bobby had insisted it was absolutely necessary. Frank wanted to speak with him again, so they already had an appointment booked in for the following week.

They returned to the station in the early evening, and he'd showered and changed into a fresh uniform, about to call Eddie to check-in, when he heard Bobby calling for him. Buck stepped out of the locker rooms curiously and found that there were three police cars pulled across the driveway, blocking the trucks in. Hen and Chimney were standing with a group of firefighters, Rogers and Brighton amongst them. As Buck made a move to join the group, one of the officers held up his hand and ordered him to stop.

"Evan Buckley?" the officer asked him, and he nodded, totally bewildered. "You're coming with us."

Bobby stepped in front of Buck, folding his arms across his chest. "You're making a mistake. You have no reason to do this—"

"He's wanted for questioning in relation to the ongoing arson investigation, and whether he was involved in the deaths of over fifty people on Friday night," the police officer snapped. "Captain Nash, I was told you'd cooperate."

Buck looked at Bobby helplessly. "Cap?"

"Don't say anything," Bobby said to him, raising his eyebrows. "Not one single word, Buck. Do you understand? We'll get you a lawyer."

"Cap, I—"

"Not one word," Bobby ordered. "I'll follow you to the station."

Buck was silent as they handcuffed him, glancing over at Hen and Chimney helplessly. "This is fucking bullshit," Chimney practically spat. "Why are you handcuffing him? He's not under arrest!"

"I'm under orders to handcuff him," the officer shot back. "Shut your mouth."

Hen turned to Bobby, shaking her head. "It's a violation of his rights, Cap."

"I know, I know. Can you please undo his handcuffs? He's not a violent man," Bobby pleaded with them.

The officer shook his head, marching Buck over to a squad car. "No can do. He looks threatening."

"Threatening!" Hen shouted. "You're the ones who are threatening!"

"Buck, we're coming with you," Chimney called. "We'll meet you at the station; Maddie too. Don't worry. This is bullshit."

Hen stormed over to them, ignoring Bobby trying to pull her back. "Did you guys talk to Athena Grant before you did this? You know you're making a mistake! He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Athena Grant isn't part of the investigation," the officer replied, shoving Buck into the back of a squad car. "She has a conflict of interest."

Hen was practically shaking with anger. "I'm calling Athena. This is unbelievable."

Buck's heart was pounding as the door to the car slammed shut. He could see his friends – Hen and Chimney, both distressed and angry, and Bobby with his arms folded across his chest. As the car pulled away, he was read his Miranda rights, and he agreed that he understood, but other than that he was silent, his lips pressed together tightly. He had to call Eddie.

* * *

_He'd needed a few key pieces of evidence. It was almost too easy – the guy never locked his Jeep. Gaining access to it was no problem at all, and finding the spare house keys in the glove box was the icing on the cake._

_At the warehouse fire, he left Buckley's shirt and the fuel can of accelerant right inside the door, where they wouldn't miss it._

_In Buckley's car, he left an empty bottle of lighter fluid, jammed under the seat where he'd never see it._

_And because he knew Buckley was practically living with Diaz, and hardly ever returned to his apartment, he wasn't at all concerned with stopping by to leave a few photographs of various crime scenes in a place where the police would be sure to find them._

_It was all just too easy._

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my US law enforcement knowledge comes from TV - sorry in advance!

At the station, Buck passed by Athena, who was practically being restrained by one of the other officers in her unit. Buck gave her a quick glance but kept his head down as he was led to the back, where he was fingerprinted and photographed, and finally put into an interrogation room by himself.

He'd been alone for about half an hour when the door opened, and a male detective stepped in. "Mr Buckley," he said. "You remember me - I'm Detective Ronald Chambers. Sorry to keep you waiting."

He nodded; his lips clamped shut.

"Mr Buckley, you're aware that you have the right to an attorney, but before you tell me what you want, I'm going to lay out some facts for you. You don't have to speak if you don't want to." Detective Chambers took the seat across from him – his shirt was too small for him, and the buttons strained as he sat down, exposing pasty white flesh. Buck looked away from him.

He reminded himself to stay silent, no matter what.

Detective Chambers said, "Approximately three months ago an arsonist began lighting fires around Los Angeles County. Your station has responded to six of these fires; all the fires were lit in locations where your station would be one of the first to respond. On Friday night, a fire was lit in an artist's workspace in a warehouse downtown, and over fifty people lost their lives, and more are in critical condition in hospital. Your co-worker, Eddie Diaz, was injured in one of the fires. We have evidence that you are the person who has been lighting the fires, and we have a warrant to search your car, your apartment, and Mr Diaz's house. Is there anything you want to say to me?"

Buck shook his head, beyond terrified. What could they possibly have? He hadn't done anything wrong.

"Let me tell you what I think," Detective Chambers said, leaning back in his seat. "You were the firefighter caught up in the bombing a few years ago, correct? And then a few months after that, you're not allowed to come back to work, you go through a tsunami and save twenty people or so, and even then, despite your heroics, are still not allowed to return to work, so you sue the Department. You're finally allowed back, but there's a seed of resentment, isn't there? They didn't trust you to do your job; you've been through a tumultuous few years, you're angry, you need an outlet, so you light a couple of fires, right before work. And it feels good to ride in and put them out, doesn't it, Evan? It's exciting; it gives you a thrill."

Buck was silent, staring at the table.

"And then things go a little too far at the apartment building, and your partner is seriously injured, so you stop for a while," he continued. "But once the heat has died down, pun intended, you start again – grassfires, the odd abandoned house and finally a warehouse full of innocent people, so you could really play the hero. Anything to chase that adrenaline rush, right? Evan Buckley, hero firefighter? Am I onto something?"

He remained still and quiet, trying not to betray himself with even the flicker of body language. He just tried to imagine what Eddie would do.

"And it makes me wonder what your best friend would say if he knew you were the one responsible for his injury, for him almost dying… it would be interesting to sit down with Mr Diaz and have a chat." Detective Chambers' eyes were trained on him. "So with all of that in mind, do you want to talk to me now and maybe clear a few things up?"

"No. I want a lawyer."

Detective Chambers raised his eyebrows, as if that very statement had confirmed all his suspicions. "Very well then," he replied, rising to his feet. "I'll be back to speak with you once your attorney has arrived."

~~

Ramon was out of surgery – alive, and doing well. They'd been in to see him, and he was awake and alert, but very weak and tired. Eddie had a tired, cranky son in his arms and one foot out the door, ready to head to the hotel for the night, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He was suddenly struck with the feeling that something terrible had happened to Buck, and fumbled to answer the call. "Chim?" he said, unable to keep the edge out of his voice. "Everything okay?"

"Buck's been arrested this evening," Chimney practically spat. "We're on our way to the police station now. They think he's the arsonist. Fucking idiots."

Eddie hitched Christopher up higher, his heart pounding. "They arrested him? Actually arrested him?"

"No, they took him in for questioning, but they put him in handcuffs and marched him out of the station and everything. Bobby's on the phone to a lawyer; Hen's driving like a maniac and Maddie burst into tears at the call centre and is going to meet us there. Listen – there's nothing you can do, so don't rush back. I just wanted to call and let you know."

"Thanks," he said numbly – they had no idea; they still had no idea that he and Buck were together. "Chim – is he at Athena's station?"

"Yep, we're all headed there now. How's your dad?"

"He's okay, he came through surgery today and he's doing well," he replied, picturing Buck in an interrogation room. "Get him a good lawyer. Maddie's got a list."

"Yeah, we will. I thought you needed to know, man. I'll call you with updates, all right?"

"Okay," he agreed. "Thanks."

They ended the call, and Eddie sat down on a seat in the hallway, Christopher still wrapped around him, practically asleep on his shoulder, and booked flights home.

"What are we doing, Daddy?" Christopher mumbled in his ear.

"We've got to go home to rescue Buck," Eddie replied, focused on his phone. "We're going to have to leave tonight, okay?"

"Okay. Is Buck okay?"

"He will be when we get there." Eddie finalised the flights and stood, re-entering the hospital room.

"Is everything okay?" Sophia asked him with concern.

Eddie shook his head. "I'm so sorry," he said to them all, "but I have to go back to LA tonight. Buck's been arrested, and I'm the only person who can get him out."

Everyone was silent. "Why would you be the only person who can do that?" his mother asked curiously.

Eddie hitched Christopher up, ignoring his aching ribs, and replied, "Because he and I have been living together since my accident. He's my partner."

"Partner," Adriana echoed. "Boyfriend?!"

"Yeah, that. He's my boyfriend."

His family were all staring at him in shock. His mother finally said, "Did you not think to tell us this before now?"

"No, I wasn't going to tell you now, but… he needs me, and I have to go. I'm still off work so I can come back on the weekend, but I have to go back to LA tonight, and I've already booked flights," he said firmly. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Eddie," Ramon said from the bed, bewildered. "You're gay?"

Eddie was already backing out of the room. "That's a conversation I can't have right now," he replied. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Go, Eddie," his Abuela urged him. "Go to Buck. We'll be okay; I'll handle this."

He smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you. I love you all, and I’m sorry."

With that, he turned and walked away, Christopher clutched to his chest.

~~

Buck had been sitting silently in the interrogation room for over an hour when the door opened, and an official-looking woman with dark curly hair, clad in an expensive red power suit strode in, a briefcase in her hand. She cast a look at Detective Chambers, jerked her free thumb towards the door and barked, "Out."

"Nice to see you too, Marcia," Detective Chambers said dryly, rising to his feet.

"I want confirmation that all listening equipment has been turned off, including video cameras," she said sharply. "If I don't get what I want, I will be asking that we move to a different room. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said sarcastically.

"And a little less flippancy from you," she shot back. "I'll wait until I know the sound devices are switched off."

They waited a few minutes in silence, and then Detective Chambers leaned back in through the door and said, "Everything is switched off."

"Good. I will let you know when we're ready." She waited until the door was closed, and then set her briefcase down on the table. "Mr Buckley, I'm Marcia Gibson and I'll be your attorney. I've been retained on your behalf by the Department and my presence here was specifically requested by Athena Grant and your sister, so you're in good hands." She took the seat beside him and said, "I want you to tell me everything you know about every single fire, starting from the very beginning, and where you were before and after those events."

"Even the ones we didn't have anything to do with?" he asked weakly.

"Everything. I have a timeline here; and you and I are going to go through every single date and time, and you're going to tell me what you remember."

"I didn't do any of it."

"Believe me, Mr Buckley, Athena has assured me of your innocence. Let's get started."

~

Buck spent the next couple of hours going through everything with her – from the first initial fires attributed to the arsonist, though he could only remember where he was on a few of those dates, to the apartment fire, the warehouse fire and everything in between. He left out his relationship with Eddie, but kept fumbling over the details of where he lived, and she finally threw her pen down on the table and said with frustration, "Mr Buckley, you're not being honest with me. You're leaving something out."

He paused, glancing at her uncertainly. "I… what I'm leaving out is not relevant."

"Everything is relevant," she said, arching an eyebrow at him. "I'm your lawyer. You can trust me. What are you hiding?"

God, he hoped Eddie would forgive him. "My relationship," he finally said. "My boyfriend is still in the closet."

"And your boyfriend is…"

He hesitated briefly, and then said, "Eddie Diaz. My work partner."

Marcia scrawled something in her notes. "How long have you been together as a couple?"

"Five months."

"And who knows about this?"

"Um… not many people," he said awkwardly. "Eddie's not ready to come out, but I'm pretty sure his son's health aide, Carla, knows that we're together because I've been living with him. And I think his Abuela probably does as well."

She nodded. "So you're living with him, and not at your apartment. Correct?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"Since he was injured, so about a month."

"And when were you last at your apartment?"

He thought back. "After I was injured at work – my sister took me there. She doesn't know; she thought… I was still living there. He came and picked me up."

Marcia nodded, writing continuous notes. "So your apartment has been sitting empty and you haven't been home."

"No."

"And nobody else has a key?"

"Only Eddie, and my sister, Maddie."

"Nobody else?"

He shook his head.

"So when they search your apartment, what will they find?"

"Nothing," he said honestly. "There's nothing… I can't think of anything."

"And Mr Diaz's house?"

He shook his head again. "There might be some fuel for the lawnmower in the back shed but other than that… there's nothing. Eddie's got a kid, he's not… leaving stuff lying around."

"And your car?"

"Again, nothing. I'm not starting fires."

Marcia nodded, and then said, "We need to get Mr Diaz back in Los Angeles."

"I guess someone would've called him by now," he said. "You'll need to ask Bobby. They haven't given me a phone call since I've been here."

"Was one offered to you?"

He shook his head. "And they cuffed me."

"They cuffed you? When they were just bringing you in for questioning?" she clarified.

"Yes, in front of everyone I work with," he murmured, embarrassed. "God, I'm so humiliated."

"Mr Buckley, you have nothing to be embarrassed about – this is a travesty of justice, and I'm here to clear your good name." Marcia raised her eyebrows at him. "These people are amateurs, and I'll have you out of here in no time. Let's do this."

~

She'd given him strict instructions – do not let his emotions take control; be clear and concise; answer only the questions they were asking and volunteer no further information. Buck did as he was told and answered the questions as best he could. All he could think about was Eddie – how would Eddie want him to act? What would Eddie want him to say? How would Eddie handle this?

The questioning went on for hours. They'd go through one event and then circle back, and he'd have to answer the same questions again. Marcia was becoming more and more irate, tapping her nails on the table, eyes flashing when a question was repeated. He guessed they were trying to catch him in a lie, but he wasn't lying, about anything, and his answers were always the same.

Finally, Detective Chambers said to him wearily, "Listen, Evan, I know you're a good guy. You're a good firefighter; your record speaks for itself. But there are holes in your story. I don't think you're being honest with me. I think all these fires point directly to you; I think you've got a grudge against the Department, and I think your buddy Diaz is on in it with you."

Buck stayed silent. Marcia replied tersely, "That's all speculation on your part, Detective. My client has answered your questions. My client was not even working when several of the fires were lit—"

"Doesn't matter; they could've been trial runs. Building up to the main event," he said dismissively.

"My client was injured when two of the fires specifically were lit, and the 118 did not respond to either of those events."

"He can still light fires with a sore arm," he replied sarcastically. "Come on, I thought you were better than this."

Marcia raised her eyebrows at him, her lips twisting into a smirk. "And I thought you were better at your job. We talked you through the timeline. We've given you alibis and rationale for why Mr Buckley isn't the arsonist, and you've dismissed all of it. You want to know what I think? I think you've been floundering around, and your Captain is breathing down your neck, and you've picked the guy that could fit the bill and twisted everything to make it work. Lazy," she declared.

"There's no reason for you to get emotional, Marcia," Detective Chambers retorted. "Fifty people are dead and we have to find out who's responsible."

"Well, maybe instead of interrogating innocent people, you should do your job and follow the evidence to the actual criminal," she snapped. "Come on. What are we doing here? You have no real evidence against Mr Buckley; everything is circumstantial."

"We have evidence," Detective Chambers replied sharply.

"Oh, please do enlighten us."

"A sweatshirt and a fuel can with your fingerprints on it were left at the warehouse fire. Not to mention the empty lighter fluid bottle under the seat in your car and the photos we found in your apartment."

Buck's heart began to race. What the fuck was he talking about? There was nothing in his car or his apartment – he hadn't been home in weeks. He glanced at Marcia, whose expression was impassive. She said, "Show us the photos. Show us where you found the photos. I want to see a video of you entering the apartment and executing the warrant. I want to see everything you have, and we will proceed from there."

"Gladly," Detective Chambers shot back. "With pleasure. Let me arrange that for you."

"Please do."

As soon as they were alone, Buck glanced at her. She stood and went to the door, checking with the officer on duty to make sure the recording equipment was off, and turned to Buck once the door was closed. "Tell me what he's talking about."

"I don't know," he said helplessly. "I haven't been to my apartment since that night with Maddie. I never take photos at the scenes we attend, ever, and I certainly wouldn't print them out! I've been living with Eddie for weeks… and my car, I don't know what he's talking about…" he trailed off, remembering his faulty car key. "The battery in my key is dying and a couple of times I've found my car unlocked. Someone could've gotten in and planted the evidence."

"A faulty car key," she said, pressing her hand to her head. "Who knows about this?"

"Just Eddie. Can you please ask Bobby if he called Eddie? I need to talk to Eddie or I'm going to lose my mind."

Marcia leaned on the table, staring into his eyes. "Are you telling me the truth?"

He nodded vehemently, on the verge of tears. "Yes," he said, his voice cracking. "I promise you."

"Will Eddie come here and corroborate your story? All of it?"

"Yes! We've been living together for weeks."

"Does he have a key to your car and your apartment?"

Buck wiped his eyes. "To my apartment, yes. My car, no. Eddie's not the arsonist. There are people who you can talk to – Carla, who is Christopher's health aide, Eddie's Abuela, his aunt, people at the station… we're not lying, we're not in this together, we're not fucking arsonists! Someone is framing me."

"Who would be framing you?" she asked. "In your honest opinion, who would have it out for you?"

Buck thought back through the last few weeks, and settled on one likely suspect. "Eric Murphy."

"Who's that?"

"He's the firefighter who was fired because he left Eddie for dead in the burning apartment building. I had to go in and rescue Eddie while Eric escaped. He lied about it, and got caught out, and the Chief sacked him. A couple of weeks ago he came up to us at a burger place and told us he was suing the Department to get his job back."

"And did you tell anyone about that incident?"

He shook his head. "I completely forgot about it, with everything that's been going on… I just forgot."

Marcia sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, and said, "All right. Let's see what evidence this jerk thinks he has against you."

~~

Exhausted, Eddie walked into the police station at around 4am, with Christopher perched on his left hip, sound asleep, and their bag dragging behind them. The team shot to their feet with surprise when they realised he was there, and Bobby hurried to help him, putting the bag to the side and gently lifting Christopher out of his arms.

"We told you not to come," Chimney said in a hushed voice. "You just ignored me, huh?"

Eddie nodded. "Got the last flight," he said hoarsely. "What's going on? Where is he?"

Bobby lay Christopher down onto a nearby couch and covered him with his jacket, and joined their huddle. "He's been in an interrogation room all night."

"They haven't charged him," Athena said in a low voice. "They tossed his apartment, car and your house late last night. I have no idea what they've found. I'm not allowed anywhere near the case."

"Okay."

"We're waiting for Marcia – his lawyer – to speak with us, but she's been in there with him since about midnight."

"How can we tell her I'm here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "Because she'll need to talk to me."

"Eddie, no one thinks you're involved—"

"I've been with him the whole time," he cut in. "We're together. We've been… dating, I guess, for a few months. He moved in after the apartment fire."

They were all silent, exchanging shocked looks.

"So we had no idea," Maddie said quietly. "Like, at all. He has not said a thing."

"I asked him not to; we were… keeping it quiet." Eddie cleared his throat. "Look, when he hasn't been at work, he's been with me, and we certainly haven't been going around setting things on fire. I can work out the timeline with them and clear his name. My Abuela knows we're together, and I told Carla last week when she asked me point blank about it. I forgot to tell him."

"I wish he'd told us," Maddie said quietly. "I wondered why he'd seemed extra happy lately."

"He was getting laid," Chimney said, and protested when he was elbowed on both sides by Maddie and Hen.

"Not so much right now," Eddie replied. "Buck's been looking after Christopher when he's not at work. How can we tell them that I'm here and I need to talk to them?"

"You'll be better off speaking with his lawyer, Eddie," Athena said. "I'll tell them you're here."

~

Marcia strode out from the interrogation rooms – an impressive woman, even in the early hours of the morning, impeccably dressed. She shook Eddie's hand firmly and said, "Buck's told me all about you. All right, let's work through the timeline together, and then we'll speak to the detective. I'm confident we'll have Buck out of here shortly."

Eddie was exhausted, but determined to rescue Buck, and they sat down together with the rest of the team in a quiet huddle, working out the facts – when their relationship began, what he could remember about where they were for each of the fires, how long Buck had been living with him, and even more questions that made him wonder how they were possibly relevant. Marcia was thorough, taking notes, listening intently.

"Talk me through the warehouse fire," she said. "Where were you and Buck before he went to work that day?"

"We were at my house, and Carla was there as well," Eddie replied, rubbing his eyes. "We went out earlier in the day to get some groceries, but that was it. He left my place about half an hour before his shift."

"And he walked in at the same time I did," Chimney added. "He turned into the parking lot right after me."

Marcia nodded, jotting everything down. "What happened after he finished his shift?"

"We arranged a breakfast for everyone at the station," Maddie spoke up. "It was Eddie's idea, and Athena and I helped him pull it together. We knew how exhausted they'd all be."

"Buck took it really hard," Hen said. "We all did. It was an awful night. He was very quiet until the end of his shift."

"And then he came home with me," Eddie finished. "And Christopher and I took care of him."

Marcia nodded, and then levelled her eyes at Eddie. "Who do you think is responsible? Who do you think is setting Buck up?"

He exhaled, shaking his head. "I don't know. Maybe Eric Murphy. Maybe? He said he was going to sue the Department, and he was pretty pissed at us when we saw him at our burger place."

"You never told me about that," Bobby said to him. "You should've talked to me."

"I told Buck to tell you; he must've forgotten." Eddie turned to Marcia again. "He's innocent. He would never do this. He's the sweetest, most decent human being on the planet. Can you please bust him out of here now?"

Marcia actually smiled, tapping her pen on her notebook. "Listen, I'm inclined to agree but these idiot police officers – no offence, Athena – can't see the forest for the trees," she replied. "Buck's no criminal mastermind. He's too damn nice and trusting."

Eddie suddenly wanted Buck back in his arms so badly he had to fight to stay seated. "He's okay, right? He's not still handcuffed?"

"No, he's not handcuffed," Marcia replied. "He's doing okay. Actually, he's doing great – he hasn't wavered once, which is why I think Chambers is so pissed off. His slam dunk case is falling apart."

He nodded, glancing over to check on Christopher, who was still sound asleep on the couch. "What do you want me to do?" he asked Marcia.

"An interview, with me by your side," she replied. "I'll set it up. They believe they have incriminating evidence from Buck's apartment, so I'll review that first, and then I'll come and collect you. Sit tight."

~~

Buck was allowed a bathroom break and a glass of water, but other than that he'd been on his own for almost an hour, staring off into space. When the door finally opened again, Marcia strode in with Detective Chambers at her heels.

He lay out a collection of photos, all in separate clip-seal bags, on the table. Buck had never seen the photos before in his life, though he recognised the locations – the abandoned house before it was set alight, the apartment building, and the warehouse were all featured. Some of the other locations were not places the 118 had attended.

Detective Chambers then produced a torn and stained sweatshirt, and at that Buck paused – it was his. There was no denying it. It was the rag he kept in his car if he needed to check the engine for any reason – covered in oil stains and grease. He hadn't worn the thing in years – it probably didn't fit anymore – but it was his. He stayed silent.

The fuel can was his as well – it was usually empty and stored in the trunk of his jeep. He hadn't had a reason to open his trunk in a few weeks, but he would've noticed that it was missing.

Lastly, they watched a bodycam video of the police officers tossing his apartment, and discovering the photos in the top drawer of his bedside table. Someone had been in his apartment – how, he had no idea, but they'd broken in and planted the photos right where the police would find them. _Fuck._

He wished Eddie were with him.

"Would your client care to explain the photos?" Detective Chambers asked snidely, as though he was convinced Buck was the bad guy.

Marcia replied, "Those photographs were planted in his apartment by someone else. Evan has not lived in his apartment for over a month. This photo shows the warehouse – he hasn't been back to his apartment since before that fire."

"He could've gone home, dropped the pictures off—"

"Yes, he could've taken the time to have the pictures printed, and then taken them to his apartment where he hid them upstairs, yes, he could've definitely done that," she replied dryly. "But you and I both know he didn't."

"Then why were they in his apartment?" Detective Chambers shot back.

"Somebody planted them there. It's your job to figure out who."

He groaned. "You have no proof that your client isn't the arsonist!"

"I have all the proof I need. Evan's partner, Eddie Diaz, is willing to give evidence to you right now," she said archly. "I will be acting as his attorney as well."

Buck glanced at her sharply. Eddie was _here_?

"His work partner," Detective Chambers replied.

"They've been colleagues for almost three years and in a romantic relationship for five months," she replied. "Evan has effectively entered into cohabitation with Mr Diaz and his son. Mr Diaz can provide firm dates and times of their whereabouts, together with photographic and video evidence on his phone."

"Well, let's go talk to him then," Detective Chambers muttered, stomping out of the room, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Marcia patted his arm and said in his ear, "I'll have you out in an hour. Breakfast is on me."

~~

Eddie was called into an interrogation room and read his rights. He disliked Detective Chambers intensely – there was something slimy about the man, but he kept a poker face, sitting up straight with his hands clasped on the table in front of him. Marcia ran off a list of his achievements – the Silver Star first and foremost – and then invited the detective to ask questions.

Which he did, starting with the basics – how long have you known each other, how long have you been in a romantic relationship, did you know that your partner was an arsonist when you started dating him – Eddie balked at that one, glancing at Marcia, who said sharply, "If you're not going to take this seriously—"

"I am taking it seriously," Detective Chambers retorted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Mr Diaz, from what you've told me, nobody knew you were together. You haven't told anyone, except a nurse that works for you and your grandmother. And your nine-year-old son – do you want me to rely on him for evidence? Your friends don't know; your captain doesn't know - so why do you expect me to believe you? Even Buck didn't mention that you were a couple when I was interrogating him."

Eddie folded his hands on the table and said, as evenly as possible, "He's protecting me. I didn't want to come out. I didn't want my family to know that we're together."

"Why not?"

"Because my parents wouldn't approve, and they've made trouble for me in my relationships before. I just wanted… Buck and I to have a honeymoon period where we didn't have to worry about what other people thought. It's not an easy thing, coming out when you're in early thirties, you know. It's taken some adjustment."

Detective Chambers rolled his eyes. "Okay, so… let's talk about some of these fires. This one, at an abandoned house in Crenshaw – you say Buck was with you on this date, but couldn’t he have slipped away at some point and—"

"No," Eddie cut in sharply. "We were at a restaurant with my kid. I can give you my bank statements showing dates and times. And honestly, what do you really think Buck would get out of lighting a fire he can't respond to? What's the point?"

"For practice—"

"You're grasping at straws and you know it," he said bluntly. "You know I've given you more than enough here. He's not your guy."

Detective Chambers hit his fist against the table. "Listen to me – all the evidence points to your boyfriend, so why don't you tell me why he didn't do it?"

"Because I was with him before and after every shift for almost the last six months," Eddie replied flatly. "Before we were in a relationship we were still spending all our time together. I keep an extensive calendar, Detective – I have a son who has a ton of medical appointments, extra-curricular activities and the like. My life is scheduled. I can give you the calendar from my phone which will prove to you that Buck was with me on the dates you think he was lighting fires. I can give you bank statements; I can show you photos, videos. I can call Carla to come in and give evidence. I'll get my Abuela back from El Paso to speak to you – I've got proof, you're just not paying attention."

"And if your next question is, was Mr Diaz also lighting the fires with him, the answer is a firm no," Marcia said dryly. "Silver Star recipient."

"Doesn't mean he wasn't in on it," Detective Chambers muttered.

Eddie sighed. "Listen, you know this is bullshit and you've got the wrong guy. You know it. He's not an arsonist."

"He immediately asked for a lawyer—"

"Yeah, and so did I!" Eddie retorted. "It's his right to ask for an attorney; it's not indicative of guilt. Why are you focusing your energy on us? Buck saved my life; he didn't light the fucking fire. We were together the whole day before the apartment fire and the warehouse fire."

"You could be covering for him."

"I'm not," he said, exasperated. "We were with my Abuela and my son. We saw my son's health aide, Carla. There are people who can corroborate my story."

"The photographs in his apartment—"

"Buck hasn't been to his apartment in over a month," Eddie replied. "He's been living with me since I was injured; he's been taking care of my son for me. Can you prove that the apartment wasn't broken into? Did you pull the security footage from the building and find the last time Buck entered? Because I'm telling you, it was over a month ago, when I picked him up after he was injured at work. He hasn't been back."

"And what about the evidence in his car?"

Eddie sighed. "I don't know. That shirt looks like the one he uses if he needs to do any work to the engine; he doesn't wear it. Someone could've taken it from the trunk."

"How?"

Eddie thought for a moment, and then remembered finding the car unlocked after their meal at the burger place. "The battery in his key is dying; and the car hasn't locked a couple of times. Someone could've planted the evidence there."

"We'll be verifying the dying battery story," Detective Chambers muttered. "It's very convenient."

Eddie tried not to roll his eyes. "It's the truth. My boyfriend is innocent, and you know it."

Detective Chambers arched his eyebrows. "If you're in such a committed relationship, how come you didn't tell anyone?"

Eddie sighed. "I told you," he said patiently. "Because of me - I didn't want to come out. I didn't want my parents to know that I was in a relationship with a man."

Detective Chambers raised an eyebrow. "Then why put yourself through it?"

"Because I fell in love with him, Detective. That's why. I shouldn't have to sit here and have my love for my partner questioned," he snapped. "You have the investigation report from the apartment fire; you have the reports from the other fires. We only responded to a handful of them, not all. Buck isn't your guy."

"You have Mr Diaz's calendar; you have other witnesses who will attest to the fact that Mr Buckley was with Mr Diaz at the time the fires were lit," Marcia said patiently. "Your case has completely imploded on you. I'm going to ask you to release Mr Buckley without charge."

Detective Chambers sat silently for a few moments, stewing, and then said, "Marcia, I'd like to speak to you in private."

"With pleasure," she said in a clipped tone, following him out of the room.

Eddie was left on his own, taking deep breaths, trying to stay calm. They weren't lying. He had evidence to back them up. He would have Buck returned to him and they would be able to go home – he just needed to stay positive.

Chambers clearly had it in for Buck, and while he waited, Eddie fantasised about rubbing it in his face when the real arsonist was discovered. Or preferably Marcia rubbing it in his face – he thought she might take some pleasure in that.

He'd been on his own for about five minutes when the door opened, and Detective Chambers and Marcia returned to the room. Neither took a seat, and Eddie tried not to panic about that. "Mr Diaz," Detective Chambers said. "I understand you've recently returned from El Paso. Why were you in Texas?"

"A family emergency," he replied. "My father had a heart attack."

"Okay. So while I understand there are extenuating circumstances, I need to be very clear – you are not allowed to leave the state. If you go back to Texas, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Do you understand me? We will extradite you from Texas."

Eddie looked up at Marcia in confusion. "Okay," he agreed. "I won't leave, but I've done nothing wrong."

"You and Mr Buckley are still persons of interest and I'm requesting you stay," Detective Chambers said stiffly.

"Buck too? You're releasing him?"

Marcia said, "Yes, Buck will be released shortly, without charge. You can both go home."

Eddie let out a trapped breath. "Okay. Great."

"But you listen to me," Detective Chambers said sharply. "Neither of you leave the state. I want every single member of the 118 in here tomorrow for questioning. I want Mr Diaz and Mr Buckley to sit in here with me – and you," he said to Marcia, rolling his eyes, "and tell me everything they know about every single fire and any person who might be connected."

"I want you to look through the security footage from Mr Buckley's apartment building and find out who went in and left those photos," she said sharply. "And I want you to apologise to Mr Buckley for ordering that he be handcuffed."

"No."

"Yes."

They glared at each other.

~~

"Mr Buckley," Detective Chambers practically mumbled, his eyes on the ground. "I am releasing you from my custody, and offering my formal apology for my officers handcuffing you at your place of work."

Buck looked up at Marcia, bewildered, and said, "Thank you?"

"You will be back here tomorrow with your lawyer to discuss everything you know about the fires again," Detective Chambers continued. "Every single little detail you can possibly remember. Understand?"

"Yes," he replied. "Okay."

"And under no circumstances are you allowed to leave the state. Like I told your buddy, if either of you leaves the state of California, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Don't even try it."

"We won't," he said. "We just want to go home."

"Then you're free to leave."

Marcia cleared her throat.

"With my apologies, again," he said through gritted teeth.

"Thank you," Buck replied, rising to his feet, following her out of the room. His heart was in his throat until they were out in the reception area, and Eddie stepped out from the group. Buck fought every urge to throw his arms around him in the world's tightest hug, but instead embraced him gingerly and buried his face in his shoulder, filled with so much fucking relief he could hardly breathe.

And then he remembered they weren't alone and tried to pull back, but Eddie said, "They know, it's fine," and kissed him firmly.

"Well," Maddie said. "I guess you guys are together."

On the verge of tears, Buck could only nod at her, holding onto Eddie like a life raft until he realised Christopher was sprawled out on the seats, sound asleep. "Chris?"

"I wasn't gonna leave him in El Paso, my parents wouldn't give him back," Eddie said dryly. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"I want to have a meeting with all of you at the station tonight," Marcia said, checking her watch. "Say, 7pm? Captain Nash?"

Bobby nodded. "I can make it happen."

"This isn't the end," she said to Buck, who swallowed hard. "They don't have enough to charge you or hold you today, but they'll keep searching. You two will likely have a squad car stationed outside your house. They will want to look through your lockers at the station. We'll all meet tonight to discuss the next step, but for now, let's get some rest."

They all murmured their agreement, and Buck followed Eddie over to Christopher, who was still sleeping soundly. "I'll get him," Buck said, gently lifting Christopher into his arms.

Eddie took his hand, leading him out of the station. They said goodbye to the others and were preparing to an order an Uber when Marcia stopped them and pointed to a diner across the street.

"I'm buying you breakfast," she said. "I promised. Takeaway, so you can take your son home."

"Thanks," Buck replied. "You don't have to."

"Eh, I want to, and they make great coffee."

They followed her over to the diner. Buck waited with their bags while Eddie ordered their breakfasts, Christopher wrapped around him like a monkey, lost in thought. Someone had been into his apartment and left the photos. Someone had broken into his car.

Eric Murphy was his first thought, gut instinct, but if it was him, he certainly wasn't being subtle about it.

Buck was lost in thought when Christopher suddenly stirred, lifting his head, looking around. "Dad?"

"He's getting us some breakfast," Buck replied, and suddenly Christopher's arms were around his neck in a fierce hug. "Hey buddy. It's okay."

"I don't know what's going on," Christopher said in his ear miserably. "Why were you at the police station? Why did we have to come back?"

"Just a mix-up, that's all," he replied, rubbing Christopher's back. "Your dad had to come rescue me like Superman."

"He's your hero."

"Yeah, he is." Buck looked up as Eddie approached them, holding a bag with three takeaway containers in it, Marcia at his side. "Ready to go?"

"Yep, let's get out of here." Eddie had dark rings under his eyes. "I'm exhausted."

They stepped out onto the street, and it was there that Buck realised Detective Chambers was striding across the road towards them. Marcia immediately stepped in front of them, prepared for a fight, but all he said was, "Marcia, I need a word before you leave."

She nodded, handing Eddie her coffee. "Don't go anywhere."

Eddie heaved a sigh as she followed him back across the street, to where another detective and a representative from the fire department were waiting. They had a discussion, and then Marcia snapped something at them, pointed to Buck and Eddie, and gave Detective Chambers a fierce look.

Eddie said, "God, she is terrifying."

"Yeah, she really is," Buck agreed.

Marcia finished her discussion and crossed the road again. Eddie passed her the cup of coffee and she took a sip before saying, "They're organising a warrant to search the 118. They want you both to sit down for interviews with them later today; I told them that we'll be doing that tomorrow as none of us have slept in 24 hours. Buck, the Department is putting you on leave for the rest of this week. I don't have to tell you not to do anything that could be deemed suspicious. Just stay home."

He nodded. "Okay. Done. Are they going to arrest me?"

"Not yet," she replied. "We'll go through everything tonight. I want to know everything you know about this Eric Murphy person."

~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler alert - I am including trigger warnings in these notes which are spoiler-y, so if you're not triggered by anything, scroll past. **No rape, no torture, no extreme violence or anything of that nature.**  
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> Trigger warnings: _~~mentions of gun use, kidnapping~~_  
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Eddie ordered them an Uber, and they were home within half-an-hour to a house that had been thoroughly ransacked. Christopher looked around, gobsmacked, and began to cry.

"It's okay," Eddie tried to reassure him. "It's okay. We'll clean it up. Nothing's missing. Come on buddy, let's have something to eat and then all three of us will have a rest."

Buck dished out their food, and they sat at the dining table to eat. Breakfast was mostly quiet, all three of them contemplative, but it was Christopher who broke the silence with, "Are you going to go to jail?"

Buck shook his head. "I didn't do anything wrong. They just don't know I didn't."

"But they send people to jail all the time."

"Buck's not going to jail," Eddie said firmly. "Over my dead body."

"Don't even joke," Buck muttered.

Eddie shot him a pointed look as he leaned in close to Christopher. "Buck hasn't done anything wrong. The police just needed to ask him some questions, okay? You don't need to worry; everything will be okay. Buck's our guy, and we'll take care of him."

Christopher nodded. "Yeah, we will," he said, and smiled at Buck, who gave a shaky smile in return. "Because we love you."

"I love you guys too," he replied hoarsely. "Thanks for coming back."

"You would've done the same for me," Eddie replied quietly. "Let's get some rest, okay? Chris, you want to lie in with us? Sleep for a bit or watch something on the iPad?"

"Okay," he agreed.

They ended up in bed together for most of the day, Buck pressed up against Eddie from top to bottom, one arm thrown over his chest possessively, lapsing into a deep sleep almost instantly. Christopher stayed in the air-conditioning with them, alternating between napping or playing with the iPad.

Eddie lay awake for a while, and when Christopher finally said, "Go to sleep, Dad," as though he was the parent, Eddie relaxed enough to drift off.

~

He awoke to Christopher saying his name urgently, and opened his eyes, looking around in confusion. "What? What's wrong?"

"There was someone at the window," Christopher said, digging his fingers into Eddie's arm. "They were looking in the window."

Buck was still asleep, mouth open, drooling on the pillow.

Eddie sat up, his brain muddled, reaching for the clock. He'd been asleep for about four hours – _four hours_. He must've passed out, totally, but Christopher had made a nest on the other side of the bed with the iPad.

"Dad," Christopher said again, insistently, shoving his arm. "There was someone there!"

He nodded, trying to pull himself together, nudging Buck. "Buck, wake up. Wake up."

"Mmmf."

"Buck, come on." Eddie nudged him again, sliding off the bed. He was rubbing his face with both hands, and just happened to look over at the window facing the side of the house as the shadow of a person pressed up against the glass, peering in. He had sheer white curtains over the windows and could only see the outline of the person silhouetted against the glass.

Eddie froze, reaching out to grab Christopher, and then heard a familiar voice say, "Eddie! The door is dead bolted! Why are you sleeping in the middle of the day?"

He relaxed, letting out a sigh, glancing over at Christopher. "Pepa," he said, shaking his head, and Christopher giggled. "You scared me, kid." Eddie slid off the bed, pulled open the curtain and called, "Meet you at the front door."

Pepa was peering past him. "Who's in your bed?" she shouted.

He closed the curtains pointedly, ruffling Christopher's hair, and leaning over to check on Buck, who was snoring lightly. "Some help he is," he said to Christopher, who laughed loudly.

He left them in the bedroom and went out to answer the door, ushering in his aunt, who immediately took him by the hands. "How are you feeling? Better?"

"A bit," he replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Your parents are very upset. Where's Christopher?"

"He's in the bedroom; I was up all night. We were having a nap. Coffee?"

Pepa followed him into the kitchen. "I'll take a glass of water. Eddie, you told them that you and Buck are in a relationship?"

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I had to. I had to fly back to get him out of jail."

"For the fires," she clarified. "He was arrested?"

"No, just hauled in for questioning," he said tiredly, handing her a sealed bottle of water from the fridge and taking one for himself, before slumping at the kitchen table. "They've got the wrong guy. I had to come back to clear his name."

"I was worried," she replied, reaching out to take his hand. "Neither of you were answering your phones, and Carla said she hadn't heard from you at all."

"Sorry, we came home and crashed. What are my parents saying?"

Pepa's hand was tight on his. "They're shocked, more than anything. Your mother is angry at you for telling your father when he's so sick. I told them you would have only done that if you had a good reason and she hung up on me."

"I'll have to straighten it out with them… I can fly back, once everything with Buck is sorted out. I'll sit down and talk to them all." He rested his head on his hand, heaving a sigh. "I'll continue my streak of not being able to do anything right."

She gave him a long look, holding his hand tightly. "You have me," she said quietly. "And I accept you no matter what."

He smiled at her tiredly. "Thanks."

"What can I do to help?"

"Honestly… if you could take Christopher for the night so Buck and I could get some rest, that would be great," he replied. "Right now he's kind of entertaining himself but I feel bad; I'm just so tired."

"Of course I can take him, Eddie. It's not a problem." Pepa gave him a long look and said, "Listen, I'm not speaking to your parents about any of this. I'm on your side. You know I've always liked Buck."

He nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, he likes you too."

"So you'll keep me informed about everything?"

"I will," he replied. "Definitely."

Christopher went with Pepa happily – probably excited to not have to be in bed anymore – and Eddie crawled back in beside Buck, on the verge of sleep again. He checked his phone and found that both Marcia and Bobby had sent messages confirming that their meeting had been cancelled, and they would regroup in the morning. Relieved, Eddie set his phone to do not disturb and yawned, settling under the covers. Buck shifted over to cuddle up to him again, and Eddie closed his eyes, asleep almost instantly.

~~

Buck awoke to a pitch-black room, sitting up, confused. "Christopher?"

"At Pepa's," Eddie mumbled, his left arm thrown over his eyes.

Buck let out a breath of relief. "Shit. When did that happen?"

"You were asleep." Eddie opened his eyes when Buck leaned over him to check the time.

"Shit, Eds," he murmured. "It's late. We're going to be late for the meeting."

"Cancelled. Earlier today. Happening tomorrow."

Buck checked his phone, and sure enough there were messages with new meeting times. He shot off a quick reply to Bobby, and then said, "It's late. I'll order us some food." Buck leaned over to kiss him, and then, because he hadn't had the chance all day, pressed another lingering kiss to his lips, nuzzling his nose against Eddie's cheek.

Before he could pull away, Eddie wrapped a hand around his elbow and tugged him back in for another kiss, which turned into something _more,_ and suddenly Buck forgot all about food and pulled his shirt over his head, straddling Eddie's hips, bending over him, careful to avoid his still-healing ribs.

"Buck," Eddie said urgently, grabbing a fistful of his ass with one hand. "I was so freaked out."

" _You_ were," Buck replied, carefully slipping Eddie's shirt up and over his head. "I was the one in jail."

Eddie sat up, kissing Buck's chest as Buck arranged the pillows behind him. When Eddie's teeth grazed his nipple he shivered, sitting back, cupping his face with both hands to kiss him again. He wanted it, needed it, and reached over to flick on the lamp and grab the bottle of lube from the top drawer. He kicked off his sweats, already hard, and Eddie wrapped a hand around his cock and stroked it a few times, biting down on his lower lip. "You want to fuck me, Eds?"

"Oh god, yes," he groaned.

"I'll ride you; I know you like that." Buck uncapped the lube, but Eddie took it out of his hands and guided him so his knees were on either side of Eddie's chest. Buck grabbed the headboard with both hands, watching as Eddie liberally coated his fingers. The tip of his cock disappeared into Eddie's mouth, and slick fingers pressed against entrance before slipping inside.

Oh fuck, that was good – hot, wet suction on one side and pressure from behind. He clung to the headboard, arching his back, groaning when Eddie's fingers pushed against his prostate.

After a few minutes, he couldn't stand it anymore. "Please," he begged. "Please. You can fuck me, I'm ready."

"Not yet." Eddie removed his fingers, added some more lube, and then pushed three back inside. Buck gasped, jerking involuntarily, and threw his head back when Eddie's lips wrapped round his cock again.

"Please, please," he panted. "Please, more. More."

Eddie was great at giving head – truly the best Buck had ever had in his life. His cheeks were hollowed out as he sucked Buck's cock unrelentingly, his tongue swirling around the tip before releasing with a _pop._ Buck rolled his hips, trying to urge him on, and then suddenly he was empty, and Eddie had both hands on his hips, nudging him backwards. Buck shuffled back on the sheets, releasing the headboard and sitting up straight again, Eddie's cock sliding between his ass cheeks.

"You look amazing," Eddie breathed, flushed red with want.

"So do you," Buck whispered, and leaned down to kiss him roughly. Eddie grabbed his ass again with his left hand and then slapped it, and Buck shuddered against him, sitting up again, reaching down to guide Eddie's cock inside. Once he was buried, they stopped and stared at each other, breathing heavily. Eddie's hand slid up Buck's thigh to his hip, digging his fingers in.

And then Buck did the thing he knew Eddie loved, and slid his finger over the head of his cock before reaching out and sliding it against Eddie's lower lip, and then leaned in to kiss him again. Eddie responded with a snap of his hips and Buck broke the kiss with a gasp, sitting up again, rolling his hips to match Eddie's movements.

The only sounds in the room were their ragged breathing and the sound of skin on skin, as Buck worked up a rhythm and rode Eddie, answering every thrust with a twist of his hips. Eddie's fingers were digging into the skin of his hip, and there would certainly be a bruise, but he didn't care – he needed it more that he could say; needed to show Eddie how much he loved him. How he would do anything for him.

"You're beautiful," Eddie gasped, sweat beading on his forehead. "That's so good; just like that. Keep going; don't slow down. That's good."

Buck was breathing heavily, his thighs burning, but he ground up and down on Eddie's cock. Eddie stroked his dick with his right hand, rolling his thumb over the head, eyes burning with intensity.

"God, I want to hold you down and fuck you properly," he groaned. "Fuck, babe."

Buck slowed, tilting his head. "You want me on my stomach?"

"Yes," Eddie said through gritted teeth. "Ass up."

"Don't hurt yourself."

"Stop worrying about me and get on all fours," Eddie demanded, slapping his ass again.

Buck smirked, slowly pulling himself up and off Eddie's dick, and turning around so his ass was up, legs spread. He felt Eddie shift behind him, and hands pull his ass apart, sliding a finger into the slick hole.

"You're so fucking tight," Eddie murmured. "Gonna stretch you out a bit more."

"Just fuck me already."

He was rewarded with the blunt head of Eddie's cock pressing against him before slowly sliding inside. Buck moaned, arching his back again, spreading himself open.

"Oh good," Eddie murmured. "Good."

Any worries he had about Eddie hurting himself were swiftly out the window when Eddie leaned over him, wrapped his right arm under Buck's arm and across his chest carefully, bracing himself with his left hand on the bed, pressed fully against Buck, and only began to move his hips – slowly at first, until every thrust was snapping inside him and all he could see were stars. Eddie's lips were pressed against his ear, his breath hot on his cheek, and Buck lost sense of time and space and everything as he orgasmed for the first time, shaking with the force of it – but they were still going; Eddie had no intention of stopping, and Buck could do nothing but push his hips back against the onslaught and beg for more.

~~

While Buck was recovering, Eddie had enough sense to order them some food. He put a bottle of water on the bedside table and knelt beside Buck, rubbing his back, grinning at the blissful expression on Buck's face. "You okay?"

"Mmm."

Eddie leaned in to kiss him softly. "I didn't hurt you?"

"Not at all." Buck sounded fucked-out and dreamy, wrapped up in blankets.

Eddie left him to rest and waited in the living room for their food to arrive, and when it did, he carried the bags back into the bedroom. Buck had regained enough sense to fix up the bed, but he was on his side under the covers, eyes closed.

"Babe," Eddie said, sitting on the bed beside him. "Food's here."

"My legs aren't working."

"Well, you don't need them to eat." Eddie leaned over to kiss him gently. "Sure you're okay?"

"I feel great," Buck murmured. "God, that was so good. You're not in pain?"

"It's all right." He'd taken some ibuprofen.

Buck sat up a little gingerly, and Eddie spread the Chinese take-out containers between them and passed him over a pair of chopsticks. They ate in silence for the most part – Eddie was ravenously hungry –and when they were finished he piled up the containers and set them on the floor, tucking a pillow behind his back, holding his left arm out so Buck could nuzzle up against him, his head on Eddie's shoulder.

Eddie pressed gentle kisses to his nose and cheeks, rubbing his back tenderly. "Hey, Buck… I need to talk to you about something."

Buck lifted his head, blinking up at him. "What about?"

"You know I'm not good at talking through my feelings, right?"

"You're getting better," Buck replied diplomatically.

"Yeah, well, this is me making an attempt." Eddie ran his fingers up and down Buck's spine. "Listen… I'm seriously fucking in love with you, okay?"

A slow smile crossed Buck's face. "You are?"

"Yeah, like… want to spend the rest of my life with you kind of thing," he replied awkwardly.

Buck's eyes were sparkling. "You do?"

"Yeah."

"I'd really like that." Buck hugged him close, burying his face against his neck again. "Because I kinda love you too."

Eddie hesitated, and then said, "I did something… without telling you, and I hope it's okay."

Buck lifted his head curiously. "What?"

"After the apartment fire… I changed my Will, and added you in it," he admitted. "I made you Christopher's guardian. Signed and sealed, all that stuff… totally official, so my parents can't contest it."

Buck sat up, his eyebrows knitted together with concern. "Eddie… he's your son, and…"

"No, but we talked about it," Eddie said, reaching out to take his hand. "About how… I don't want them raising him, but if I'm not here, I want you to do it. Is that okay?"

Buck's eyes filled with tears, and he nodded. "Yep. But you'll be here, because I'm never going to let anything happen to you."

Eddie stroked his cheek lovingly. "I know. Come here."

Buck nestled in against him, tilting his head up so they could trade kisses. "Wow," he finally murmured. "You really do trust me with Christopher."

"Yeah, I thought I'd kinda made that clear." Eddie rubbed his shoulders. "And about us spending the rest of our lives together as well. I love you, Buck. More than I've ever loved anyone – except Christopher, obviously."

Buck smiled up at him. "I love you too. Thanks for coming to rescue me."

"I was scared out of my brain when Chimney called and said the police had picked you up," he admitted. "I was scared they'd put you in jail; I couldn't handle that. I need you with me."

Buck was silent, one hand trailing through the patch of hair on Eddie's chest. He finally murmured, sounding a little choked-up, "I just want to be with you, too. This is like a nightmare that won't end. I just want everything to go back to normal."

"Let's talk it out," Eddie suggested. "What do you think is going on?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"Eric," Eddie suggested.

"Yeah, but… if it is him, he's not keeping a low profile about it. Threatening lawsuits? Unless he's trying to throw people off the scent, but…" Buck trailed off. "What about the missing woman from the fire?"

"She's presumed dead, I think, even though they never found her remains. No trace of her has shown up." Eddie scratched the back of Buck's head lightly. "I think we can assume she's dead. I think they're still waiting on forensics to come back."

"Okay, so… if it is Eric, and he evacuated without you… why?" Buck asked. "If the whole thing is about him being a hero, being in the spotlight – he should've stayed, or come back, or something. Instead, he just ran away."

Eddie frowned. "I don't know. I don't have the answer. But honestly, if it's not him… I'm pretty sure that the arsonist decided to pin everything on you after the apartment fire. I think the person was there that night."

Buck sat up. "Why pin it on me? What did I do?"

"Well, like you just said - you're the big hero," Eddie pointed out. "You defied orders and came back for me. You rescued me; you got us to safety. You stole the limelight from him – or her, I guess. Plus, with your profile at the Department, they probably thought it'd be easy to pin on you."

"That detective is convinced I'm guilty."

"That detective is biased and is probably going to completely overlook the real arsonist by focusing on the wrong person," Eddie replied, as Buck settled in beside him again. "And like… your car key being faulty, and your car being unlocked… they've just gotten lucky, really. They probably tried your handle and thought it was their lucky day. You don't keep an apartment key in there?"

Buck's eyes widened. "Yeah," he admitted. "In the glove box. I taped it in there."

"Oh Jesus, Buck…"

"Yeah, I know, but… I literally taped it right at the back, it's under black tape," he said. "They would have to be lucky to find it. I'm going to go check." Buck sat up, grabbed his discarded sweats and pulled them on, before heading out of the bedroom.

Eddie changed into a pair of shorts and followed him out to the living room. The car had been confiscated from the fire station the previous night, but returned to Eddie's house following Buck's release. From the window, Eddie watched Buck search through his car, before he slammed the door shut, locked the car manually, and jogged back to the house.

"It's gone," he said breathlessly. "It was in the glove box, and it's gone."

"So he could've been to your apartment at any time," Eddie groaned. "God fucking damn it."

Buck shook his head. "Fingerprints," he said. "In the car and the apartment, right?"

"Maybe he wore gloves. You've been driving the car – you have no idea when he got into it. Plus the police have been through it tonight. They didn't take your key?"

Buck paused. "We can find out," he said, "but it was definitely in the glove box and now it's gone. That shirt the police found at the scene is my grease rag; I never wear it. It's probably too small. And my fuel can was in the trunk—"

"But they'll have explanations for why those things were there," Eddie pointed out, "and you don't know when he broke in."

"No. And we didn't meet Eric and Cameron until the apartment fire – I never knew them before." Buck glanced at Eddie. "What about Cameron? He's pretty quiet."

"I don't really know anything about him. He seemed pretty apologetic that night at the burger place. I think Eric is probably the main suspect, but… honestly, Buck, I don't know. There's that guy from your apartment building, the one you rejected – he was kinda creepy."

"He's not a firefighter," Buck replied with a shrug. "He's a bouncer, I think. It doesn't fit."

"No." Eddie made a face. "And it's not a crime to be interested in someone and then be pissed off when you're rejected. The only thing I think is that he knows where you live, has had access to your car and lives just down the hall from you… he could be in on it, but… that's a big conspiracy. Multiple people trying to bring you down? I mean, I love you so much, but—"

"Am I really worth all that trouble?" Buck finished for him with a grin. "No."

Eddie smiled at him affectionately. "So we're essentially none the wiser. Could it be someone from our station?"

They were both silent for a few moments, thinking. "Rogers and Brighton were at all the same fires with us," Buck finally offered.

"So were Hen and Chim."

"Right." Buck sighed, scratching his head. "I still think it's Eric, and I don't know why the police haven't looked into him."

"I'm pretty sure that Detective has decided that you're it, and he's not willing to listen to any other opinions," Eddie replied, sinking down onto the couch. "Plus – there's evidence against you, as much as we've tried to disprove it, those things come from your car. So… he's got it in for you."

Buck made a face, taking the seat beside him. "God, I just feel… like… I'm just doing my job. I'm not out there seeking fame or whatever."

"No," Eddie replied, sliding an arm around his shoulders. "But someone has it in for you."

"Yeah, I guess," he murmured, and then gave Eddie a sidelong look. "Listen… maybe I should book into an Airbnb or something, to keep you and Christopher safe."

Eddie snorted. "No."

"It might be safer, you know - if he's targeting me, I don't want you in any danger. I can't lose you, Eds. I can't have anything happen to you or Christopher… I need you."

"He's not targeting you; he's trying to frame you," Eddie said in a low voice. "I'm not going anywhere. Where you go, I go. Okay?"

"But your Dad…"

"I'll go back when this is sorted. I'm not leaving you alone." Eddie leaned in to kiss him firmly, and then said, "I love you," he said, quietly and solemnly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Buck nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay. I love you too. I just feel guilty that you and Christopher have to deal with this."

"None of this is your fault, and by the way, if you hadn't done what you'd done during the apartment fire, I wouldn't be here," Eddie said emphatically.

"Yeah, you're right," he murmured. "You know, when we started, I thought… it was just sex; that's all it was going to be," he admitted. "And it's great sex, don't get me wrong – my legs still feel like jelly."

Eddie chuckled and kissed him again.

"And neither one of us had been with anyone for so long and I kinda thought… that maybe it was just stress relief, you coming over and us ending up in bed, and… I thought maybe I'd just fall in love with you and not tell you."

"Me too."

"Because I wasn't sure if you wanted a guy for a partner, Eds. I mean… it doesn't matter to me; I fall in love with whoever, but… you're different. And I know what your parents are like. I know how hard they are on you. I know they'll make things hard for us as well."

"I'm not worried about what they want; my priority is Christopher," he replied, cupping Buck's face. "He chose you from day one. Not even a question – Christopher wanted you in his life. You're the only person I've ever let in like that who wasn't a family member – my friends in El Paso, Christopher didn't bond with any of them the way he bonded with you. So I knew you were special, and Christopher did, and my Abuela fell in love with you and even _Pepa_ likes you."

"She doesn't just like me; she loves me," Buck said smugly. "She gives me food all the time."

"Playing favourites."

"Mmm, I like it. I've never been part of a family like yours before. It's nice." Buck smiled at him sweetly.

"And when I kissed you, that night," Eddie murmured, "I just… wanted to see what it was like, you know?"

"Yeah, I could tell."

"And then I liked it."

Buck's eyes twinkled. "Yeah, you really did. You tore my favourite shirt."

"Sorry." Eddie rubbed their noses together apologetically. "I was just excited."

"I remember, Eds. God, that was a fun night." Buck slid his hand over Eddie's thigh, cupping his groin, rubbing his fingers over the shaft of his cock. "I can go again. May as well, before I get sent to jail."

"Don't say that," Eddie admonished. "I won't let that happen."

"You know what happens to pretty—"

"No," Eddie cut in sharply, wrapping his arms around Buck in a fierce hug. "No, baby. No."

"Baby," Buck murmured against his neck. "Am I?"

"Yes. I love you," he said again, pressing his lips against Buck's cheek. "I will not let you go to jail for something you haven't done."

"You might not have a choice." Buck pulled away, cupping Eddie's cheek, smiling sadly at him. "Will you make me pancakes in the morning, like you did after our first night? That was my favourite part. Waking up to the smell of bacon and you in my kitchen, in your underwear… fuck. That was great. No one's ever done that for me before."

Eddie kissed him. "It was the least I could do."

"After I rocked your world?"

"Yeah, after that." Eddie grinned at him.

Buck stood, tugging Eddie up, and then hooked his hands under his thighs and lifted him into his arms. Eddie cupped his face with both hands, leaning in to kiss him as Buck carried him down the hallway to the bedroom.

Afterwards, he ran his fingers through Buck's soft hair while he slept soundly, and thought, _this time, I'll save you. I promise._

~~

They were due to meet everyone at the 118 at 10am, but just as they were about to leave, both Eddie and Buck's phones began to ring simultaneously.

They shared a look – Eddie had Chimney, and Buck had Athena. Buck answered first. "Athena?"

"Buck, do not come to the station, do not leave Eddie's house," she ordered, her voice clenched. "Someone leaked your name to the media and there are reporters everywhere. Marcia is on her way to Eddie's house to pick you up, and we are going to meet you somewhere secure."

Buck shared a horrified look with Eddie, who had his phone to his ear. "Okay," he said. "Should we… bring anything? What about Christopher? We've got to pick him up from Pepa's—"

"If I were Eddie, I'd be asking Pepa to look after him a little while longer. This is very bad, Buck. Do you understand me? Fifty people are dead and the media have your name and your history. You're not safe where you are, but we're coming to get you both."

His heart was in his throat. "Okay," he said hoarsely. "We'll be waiting."

"Good. If anyone knocks on your door who isn't Marcia, do not open it. I mean it."

"Yep, I understand."

"We'll be there soon." With that she hung up, and Buck turned to Eddie, who ended his call with Chimney at the same time.

Eddie looked around his house and said, his voice clenched, "I don't know when we'll be back here and I don't know what to bring."

"I'm sorry," Buck whispered, on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry—"

"This isn't your fault," Eddie said fiercely, grabbing him by the shoulders. "We'll sort this out, and everything will be okay."

He nodded – Eddie was right, but hopelessness was crashing down on him. The police hadn't believed him, and the media wouldn't either. He was a troublemaker with the Department – he half expected them to hang him out to dry; that maybe Marcia wouldn't arrive.

But she did, striding up the path to the front door, dressed in a black and white pinstriped dress and black heels. Eddie let her into the house, and she took a cursory look around before saying, "All right. Pack a couple of bags, and for your son as well. We're arranging accommodation for you somewhere safe."

"The media doesn't know we're here, right?" Buck asked nervously.

"No, but they will. Somebody from the police department leaked the details to the press and they're having a field day." Marcia took the television remote from the coffee table and flicked the TV on – sure enough, Buck's face was front and centre – a picture of him at the station from their Christmas party, wearing a Santa hat. He'd posted that picture on the 118's Facebook page.

She switched the TV off again, and nodded at them. "Quick."

They hurried into the bedroom. Eddie's El Paso bags were still near the door, so he threw them on the bed and opened them up. Buck added some of his clothes on top, their phone chargers, Eddie's iPad and Buck's laptop. Eddie dumped some extra changes of clothes as well and then went across the hall to pack for Christopher.

Five minutes later, they met Marcia in the living room. Eddie briefly did a check to make sure the windows were all secured and the back door was locked, and as Eddie followed her to her Range Rover, Buck made sure the front door was locked tightly. He climbed into the backseat, behind Eddie in the front, and they headed away from Eddie's tidy house on his quiet street.

~

Someone had arranged a house for them, and it turned out that someone was Athena, who'd called in a favour from a friend. It was a nice house, not too far from Athena and Bobby's house in the hills, with a pool in the back, and most importantly, a security system.

Athena was waiting for them when they arrived. Marcia parked the car in the garage and wouldn't let them exit until the door was down, and when they were finally inside and the place secured, they all sat down at the table together.

Athena rubbed her face – she looked uncharacteristically exhausted. "All right," she said. "Let's get down to it. First of all, we don't know who the arsonist is, but we know that someone from the taskforce leaked your name to the press. Internal Affairs is investigating that."

"It was Chambers," Marcia said dryly. "One hundred percent."

"You know I don't disagree. They've already ruled out anyone from the 118. Bobby has control of his station and from what I understand, all the people you work with are quite upset. You're very popular, Buckaroo."

Buck glanced at Eddie, who squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Athena continued. "I'm waiting on a call from my Captain. She's demanded a full investigation, and if the current task force is disbanded – which I'm hopeful it will be – a new detective will be taking over, and I will be requesting to take part. Right now, I'm off the clock, so we're going to sit here and talk this whole thing through from start to finish."

"We don't have any new ideas, but a possible suspect for you to look into."

"We'll take anything at this point. What have you got?" Marcia asked him, flipping open her notepad.

"There's a guy who lives in Buck's apartment building who hit on him and didn't take it well when Buck rejected him. This guy knows Buck; knows where he lives and knows what car he drives. His name is Aaron – he's not a firefighter, but… he's got a grudge, so… might be worth looking into."

"The other thing is that the spare key to my apartment is missing," Buck replied. "I keep a spare taped in the glove box, and it's been removed. Not sure if it was the police or someone else."

Athena levelled a stare at him. "You don't."

"I'm sorry," he complained. "It's hidden with black tape! You'd have to have a flashlight to find it."

"Still, Buck." She shook her head. "We need to talk about your home security measures when all this is said and done."

"Okay," he agreed. "Whatever you want."

"Where do you usually park your car?" Marcia asked him. "Underground parking, or…"

"No, there's a lot where the tenants park – it's technically gated, but if you follow someone closely enough, you can get in. The security isn't that great. A couple of cars have been broken into previously."

"And Eddie's?"

"I park on the street. At the station I park in the lot."

Marcia clucked her tongue. "All right. And this guy lives in your building?"

"Just down the hall from me."

"So he knows your car. It's worth a look," she said to Athena, who nodded. "We should chase every lead."

"Whoever the arsonist is, they know what car Buck drives, and where he lives," Athena continued. "We're still looking into Eric Murphy, but… I'm not really sure. It seems since he's been fired, his marriage has fallen apart and he's living in a rundown apartment complex."

"A grudge," Marcia suggested, tilting her pen towards Athena. "Motive."

"Motive, sure, but he's certainly not flown under the radar at any point," Athena replied. "The problem is I can't go anywhere near him, and I'm not sure if the taskforce has spoken to him."

"No," Marcia murmured, tapping her pen against her chin. "Okay. I'm going to have my investigators look into the man named Aaron from Buck's apartment building, and find out anything they can about Eric Murphy." She heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "I just don't feel like we're any closer to an answer."

"But the boys are safe here," Athena said, raising her eyebrows at them. "I'll go pick up Christopher for you and bring him here. You three will be safe and sound."

Eddie and Buck shared a look. "Thanks," Eddie replied. "We'll keep our heads down."

"You better."

"Your son," Marcia said to him thoughtfully. "How old is he?"

"Nine, turning ten in a couple of months," Eddie replied.

"Cerebral palsy, right?"

Eddie nodded. "Yeah, but he doesn't let anything stop him."

"He's a very cute kid. Continuing on," Marcia said, consulting her notes. "All right. We have some good leads here to work with. You two are going to stay here, in this house, and not leave it until we say so. We will have food and groceries delivered to you. We're not letting Captain Nash or your work colleagues visit, but Athena will collect Christopher for you."

"This is only temporary," Athena said reassuringly. "Marcia is going to address the media this afternoon and put to rest these lies, and once everything dies down, you'll be able to go home. But for now, you just have to stay here. I'm sorry, boys."

"That's okay. We'll make the best of it," Eddie said confidently, squeezing Buck's hand again.

~

Athena returned with Christopher in the early afternoon, along with a box of doughnuts for them. As soon as she was gone, Christopher wandered around the house in amazement, and asked, "Is this our new home?"

Eddie laughed. "Not quite, kiddo. Just temporary."

"Can we go for a swim?"

"We may as well," he said, glancing at Buck for confirmation. "What else are we going to do? Can't put on the TV."

"Nope," Buck agreed, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt. Eddie led Christopher down the hallway to change, but he sprawled out on the couch and rubbed his face with both hands.

He felt responsible, even though he'd done nothing wrong. He was the reason Eddie and Christopher had to come home from El Paso early, and the reason they were now hiding out.

How would he go back to work? What if there were some lingering doubts about his innocence? What if he lost the trust of his team? What if he couldn't be a firefighter anymore?

But worst of all, what if the arsonist tried to come after Eddie and Christopher? What if something happened to them?

He'd never forgive himself.

They hadn't brought swimsuits with them, so Eddie emerged in a pair of gym shorts, wandering over to take a seat in his lap. He brushed his fingers through Buck's hair and studied his face, and when Buck could only gaze at him unhappily, Eddie said softly, "None of this is your fault, and you know it."

He nodded, pressing his face against Eddie's arm guiltily.

"None of this makes me love you any less," Eddie said, in a voice filled with devotion. "You know how much you mean to me. You know what we have. This will blow over, and they'll clear your name. Everything will be okay."

"I hope so," he murmured, his voice muffled. "I don't want to have to leave the country."

"Well, Christopher and I would come with you." Eddie kissed the top of his head and stood up, taking his hand. "Come on - there's nothing we can do until Marcia works her magic, so let's go for a swim, enjoy this nice house, and forget about the rest of the world for a while."

Buck smiled up at him. "Okay. Sounds good."

"Good."

* * *

_That lawyer of theirs was good, and the cops were hopelessly bad. He shouldn't have had any real faith in them to begin with, but he'd thought the evidence was convincing enough that they'd at least arrest the guy. But no, he was released, and now he was in some kind of safe house._

_If they didn't buy Buckley as the arsonist, then they would start looking for the real culprit, and he couldn't have that._

_He was going to have to figure out where they were staying, and that meant tailing Captain Nash's wife. He located her at the 118, and decided to follow her around until she led him right to them._

_He had a bold new plan to irrefutably prove that Evan Buckley was the arsonist – he just needed to execute it perfectly._

* * *

Marcia called Buck and Eddie the following morning, and they listened to her on speaker phone in the kitchen while Christopher was watching television.

"All right, I have some bad news. They did find out who leaked your name to the press – an administration assistant associated with the investigation, who has been fired. Unfortunately, that means Detective Chambers is still the lead detective on the case," she said. "In addition to that, he wants to interview Buck again downtown this morning, and Eddie, I'm sorry, but you can't come."

Eddie clenched his jaw. "But you'll be there?" he clarified.

"Yes, I'll be his legal representation. They are still focused on him – until we turn up some real evidence, they're going to keep digging this hole."

Buck let out a breath, dragging his fingers through his hair. "Okay. I'll answer any questions they've got."

"I'll be right there with you," she replied. "Eddie, we're hoping you can go to the station today and sit down with Captain Nash and Chief Alonzo to talk everything through. Athena will pick you and Christopher up at ten, and I'll collect Buck at eleven."

"Okay," Eddie agreed, and then asked with concern, "Are they going to press charges against Buck?"

"I don't think they have enough evidence at this stage," Marcia replied, "but honestly, I don't know. If charges are laid, bail is going to be extremely high."

Buck sank down into a seat at the kitchen table, stunned. Eddie squeezed his shoulder reflexively and said, his voice clenched, "Marcia, I'm begging you to do the best fucking job you can, okay?"

"Believe me, Eddie, I intend to," she said firmly.

When they ended the call, Buck was on the verge of tears, his lips trembling. "Oh my god, I'm going to jail," he whispered, shaking his head as Eddie wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so fucking scared."

"I will bail you out," Eddie said fiercely. "I'll get the money; however much it costs. I will get it. I'll ask my parents."

"You'll call my parents," Buck whispered, fumbling for his phone. "You'll call them and tell them. We're not close but it's the only way you'll get the money."

"Okay," Eddie said, copying the number into his phone. "What are their names?"

"Philip and Margaret. Call Maddie, she'll talk to them as well." Buck was shaking, his voice trembling. "And um… you won't tell Christopher?"

Eddie met his eyes, and shook his head. "No."

"Okay. Good."

He was on the verge of tears when Eddie leaned in to kiss him – and it was then that Buck realised Eddie was practically shaking with fear as well. "Oh god, Eddie," he moaned, clinging to him. "I'm so scared."

"It's going to be okay; I will get you out. I will do anything for you," Eddie whispered, kissing him over and over. "Anything for you. I've got your back. Everything will be okay."

"It might not—"

"It will. You did nothing wrong. We'll prove that; I promise you."

Maybe it was the conviction in Eddie's voice, or the pure, unadulterated love radiating from him, but Buck suddenly felt a little calmer. He had Eddie on his side, and not only that, but _Athena_ as well. Athena would never stop fighting for him, and she wouldn't allow him to end up behind bars, of that he was certain.

~

Buck and Eddie parted with a kiss at the front door when Athena arrived to collect him, and Christopher gave Buck a lingering hug before Eddie carried him out to the waiting car.

Once he was alone, Buck went into the bathroom, stared at his reflection, and wondered if he should vomit. He settled for splashing water on his face, wandering back out to the living room, where the front door was wide open. He stopped, confused, and called, "Eddie?"

Cold metal was pressed to the back of his neck and he froze.

"Hey Buck," a familiar voice said from behind him. "Let's get one thing clear – if you don't come with me, or you try to escape, the person following Eddie and Christopher will kill them. So why don't you make this easy on the both of us and come with me?"

Buck nodded wordlessly. He felt the barrel of the gun slip down to his lower back, and Cameron said, "Okay, let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

Eddie and Christopher were at the 118 – Christopher was upstairs, being entertained by Hen, Chimney and Maddie, who was so freaked out about Buck that she'd taken the day off work. Chimney had been hovering over her, worried about the baby, waiting on her hand and foot.

Eddie, Athena, Chief Alonzo and Bobby were going around in circles, trying to come up with theories and solutions, but there was no lightbulb moment. Maybe it was Eric, but maybe not. Maybe it was Aaron, but probably not. Maybe it was someone else, but who? There was nobody that seemed to fit the bill.

It was just after 11am when Eddie's cell phone rang. He didn't recognise the number, but answered. "Hello?"

Marcia's breathless, frantic voice came over the line. "Please tell me he didn't run."

"What?" Eddie asked, confused. "Who? Buck?"

"He's not at the house; the house is empty and he's gone. His phone and wallet are missing as well. Tell me you didn't make arrangements for him to flee. Tell me the truth."

"We didn't!" he protested, putting the phone on speaker. "I swear to you, Marcia. He was waiting for you to pick him up. All we did was make sure I had the info for his parents so I could call them if I needed to bail him out. We didn't do anything else. He's not there?"

The blood seemed to drain from Athena's face, and she pressed a hand to her lips, sharing a stricken look with Bobby.

"Eddie, he's gone," Marcia said – he could hear her voice echoing in the house. "I mean, the place is spotless, but the front door was unlocked. He's not here. Nothing's been taken."

Athena took the phone from him and put it on speaker. "Marcia, we'll check the security footage," she said sharply. "Someone must have followed me when I picked up Eddie and Christopher."

"Aren't you the trained police officer who is supposed to be aware when that's happening?" Marcia snapped.

"I did everything I was trained to do, and if I messed up, I'll take responsibility," Athena replied evenly. "We don't know who we can trust at this stage, so I want you to call Detective Chambers and ask him to postpone until we know exactly what's happened to Buck."

"This is a shit show," Marcia said with disgust, and ended the call.

Eddie tried to control his breathing, both hands pressed to his head, distraught. "Athena…"

"I know," she replied tightly, handing him his phone. "I'll call my guy and we'll check the footage."

"There's no way he would've run," Eddie said to Chief Alonzo, pleading with him. "He loves me – we just want to be together; he wouldn't have run. I promise you."

"I believe you, Eddie," Chief Alonzo said gently. "We'll figure this out."

He nodded, but his heart was in his throat. They had to find him. He wouldn't rest until he had Buck back in his arms, safe and sound.

~

Buck had definitely been taken. The security footage showed a man with a baseball cap and sunglasses approaching the house, gaining entry through the front door – they must have left it unlocked when Eddie and Christopher left, and he was suddenly wracked with guilt. Less than two minutes later, Buck and the man walked out together – the man was pressed up behind Buck, one hand gripping his arm, the other obscured.

"He's got a gun," Athena said, rubbing her forehead. "Okay. He obviously didn't know we had CCTV cameras. Eddie, do you recognise him?"

They were still huddled in Bobby's office, crowded around Marcia's laptop. Eddie shook his head. "I mean… he's well built. He could be a firefighter – maybe? It looks like he's got a tattoo on his arm, but I can't really make it out. I'm not sure. I'm sorry, I don't know."

"We might be able to clear it up a bit and see what the tattoo is," Marcia said to Athena, who nodded, but her eyes were trained on Eddie.

"Eddie, let me lay this out for you – this is very bad. He's taken Buck because he knows we can prove he's not the arsonist, and this is a last ditch attempt to pin everything on him so he can get away with it. For example, if Detective Chambers and his motley crew find Buck's body at a fire, they can say he died at the scene, make sure he's blamed for everything and wrap it up in a tidy bow. He's hell bent on it being Buck; he won't see any other possibilities, at all."

"You think that guy is going to kill Buck," he said numbly.

Athena met his eyes. "Yes."

Eddie swallowed hard. "Athena, he's the love of my life."

"I know." She checked her watch and said, "I would suggest we arrange for someone to pick up Christopher. You'll be with us every step of the way."

"I'll call my aunt," he said, trying to fight the fear that was surging through his body. "What's our next move?"

"We're all going to the police station with the CCTV footage."

"What if Detective Chambers doesn't accept it?"

Athena smirked at him. "I'll go over his head."

Chief Alonzo shook his head. "Athena, I'm sorry, but this has been an absolute disaster," he said bitterly. "It should never have gotten to this point. To say I'm furious with the LAPD is an understatement."

"I understand," she said, trying to placate him. "My Captain is reasonable – she'll listen to me."

"Captain Maynard? She hasn't listened to you yet; why would she start now?"

"Because now we know for certain Buck's not the arsonist," Marcia replied, gesturing to the footage. "There's no spinning this. There's nothing they can say. He's been abducted. They can't blame him anymore. Captain Maynard will have to listen to us."

"We're going to check with the neighbours to see if they have any footage – we might be able to catch a glimpse of his car," Athena added. "If we get a tag number, it's all over."

Chief Alonzo nodded slowly, rubbing his chin. "I want to be there with you," he said to them. "Despite everything, I like Buck. He's a smart kid who does his job well; a fundamentally decent human being. It's imperative that we find him. I know Captain Maynard; I'll put pressure on as well. We need the LAPD with us on this one, even if that Detective has his head up his ass."

~~

Buck had been blindfolded and his wrists zip-tied, but he knew he was in a grey sedan, and he knew he was with Cameron Taylor. They were in the car for a long time, and he tried to keep track of the lefts and rights they made, but after an hour, it was too much to remember. He was staying below the speed limit, driving carefully so as not to arouse suspicion. The radio was on, and every so often a news bulletin aired about the arsonist, but nothing about Buck's abduction. He guessed Marcia would've found the house empty and raised the alarm, but he had no idea.

They finally pulled to a stop, and Cameron exited the car. The back door was pulled open a moment later and a hand wrapped around Buck's bicep, pulling him out as well. He was led along a flat path, heard the squeak of a door as it opened, and then descended down a flight of stairs – he guessed into a basement.

It was hot and stuffy inside, and he was dragged over to a metal chair and forced to sit down. He was zip-tied for a second time, fastening his hands to the back of the chair. His legs were secured as well, and in the greatest indignity of all, rope was looped around his neck and secured as well.

"Just so you don't feel like head-butting me," Cameron muttered, yanking the blindfold off.

Buck looked around the room – he was in a basement. A single light illuminated the stark, empty room, which felt like it had been vacant for years. The walls were covered in seventies-style wooden panels, and the carpet beneath his feet was orange shag. There was only one other piece of furniture in the room, a second chair, which Cameron dragged over.

He sat in front of him, rubbing his chin, eyeing Buck bitterly. "Here's the thing," he said. "I never meant to have to do this to you, but you kept getting in my way."

Buck made a face. "I was just doing my job—"

"Yeah, but you always seem to attract a lot of attention. And for a guy that's had a lot of shit go down in his short tenure at the LAFD, it kinda pisses me off. I've been grinding it out for ten years and I don't get nearly as much recognition as you do," he said bitterly. "You're the guy on the rollercoaster; you're the guy at the plane crash; you're the guy scaling a collapsing building after an earthquake – you're the guy in a fucking tsunami, I mean… what the fuck? How the hell are any of us supposed to be noticed with you around?"

"I didn't do any of those things for the glory – I'm a firefighter because I like helping people," Buck argued. "I want my life to mean something."

Cameron just shook his head. "That's the thing though," he said. "I'm the one doing the hard work around here. I'm the one who lit the fire to rescue those kids from that fucked up foster home. I'm the one they should be thanking! If I hadn't done that, those kids would still be there, stuck with those monsters. And you got all the attention."

"I was just doing my job," Buck replied helplessly. "And yeah, sure – you indirectly saved those kids, but you could've also killed them! And what about the apartment fire? What was the reason for that?"

"That wasn't me," Cameron said with a shrug.

Shocked, Buck tried to collect his thoughts, and then said, "Okay, what about the warehouse? Full of innocent people. Fifty innocent people, dead."

"Those people were the dregs of society," Cameron scoffed. "Nobody even cares. Honestly, I did the city a favour."

"Nobody cares – they were kids! A sixteen-year-old girl died in my arms, and you think nobody cares? I care! I think about her all the time!"

"This isn't about you," Cameron hissed.

"It feels pretty personal, man." Buck swallowed hard, trying to beseech Cameron with his eyes. "Listen to me – I know it seems like I get a lot of recognition but I honestly don't want it. I'm sorry if you think I'm stealing your thunder or something, but… Cameron, please – Eddie and Christopher are the most important people in my life, and please… please don't do anything to hurt them. Please call off the guy you've got following them; I'll do whatever you want. Just leave them alone."

"Oh, there's no guy. I just said that to make you come with me," Cameron said dismissively. "I like Diaz; he's a good dude. I mean, he's got lousy taste in boyfriends, but…"

Buck let out a trapped breath, filled with relief. "Okay. Thank god."

Cameron stood, stretching his arms over his head. "The thing is," he said to Buck, "this isn't about you. I just wanted an opportunity to prove myself. Do you know how often people talk about you – and Diaz as well? How the rest of us seem to fade into the background? The Chief came to our station and showed us news footage of the train derailment and your great idea about rescuing the people trapped, and like… it bugs me."

"I didn't know he was doing that; I don't want any recognition. I just want to be with Eddie and Christopher."

"Well, it's too late for that, Buck. This is it," Cameron said with a shrug. "If I want to get away with this, you've gotta die. One last fire – one last empty house, and this time, you couldn't get out in time. It's a real shame. Eddie's going to be devastated. And that kid – Christopher? He's cute. God, they'll be sad."

Tears filled his eyes. "Please – I just want to be with them," he said desperately. "I just want to be with Eddie and Christopher. Like… he's the only person I could see myself marrying, you know? Like… I love him so much. Please… I'll quit? I won't be a firefighter anymore, if you just let me have them. Please."

Cameron shook his head, giving an exaggerated shrug. "Sorry dude. Too late. You're going to die today. I just need to finalise everything, but… yeah. They're going to find you down here. Maybe Eddie will find you – how sad would that be, huh? Really sad."

"Please," he said again, a tear slipping down his cheek. "Please. I love them so much."

"Fat lot of good that's doing you right now, man," Cameron said. "Hang tight. You've got some time left to think of more ways to beg for your life."

~~

"Are you sure about this?" Marcia asked Athena as they marched into the police station. Eddie was trailing behind them, Bobby and Chief Alonzo bringing up the rear.

"Yes," she replied firmly. "The clock is ticking."

"Your Captain could very well tell you—"

"She'll listen to me." Athena led them to the Captain's office, bypassing her secretary who began to splutter, and pushed open the door.

Captain Maynard rose from her desk with surprise as they all marched in and closed the door. "Athena, what on earth is going on? Chief Alonzo?"

"Hello, Captain, apologies for the intrusion," he replied, stepping forward to shake her hand.

"I wouldn't do this normally," Athena began, holding her hands up. "We've worked together a long time and you know me well, and you know when I'm serious. I'm deadly serious about this, Captain."

She sighed. "Is this about Evan Buckley?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Athena, as we spoke about earlier, I'm very sorry someone leaked his name to the press—"

"That's not why we're here," she cut in. "Evan Buckley was abducted at gunpoint from a safe house this morning. He's missing, and we need to find him. And I don't trust Detective Chambers to do his job."

"Abducted," Captain Maynard clarified. "You have proof?"

"CCTV footage," Athena replied, and Marcia took her laptop out of her bag. "Plus we're enquiring with neighbours as to whether their cameras picked up any footage of the car the suspect might have been driving."

Captain Maynard nodded slowly, her eyes trained on Athena. "Who authorised you to put Evan Buckley into a safe house?"

"No one. I arranged it myself."

"And someone followed you there," Captain Maynard guessed.

Athena nodded. "Yes, it seems that way. I collected Eddie this morning and Buck was taken shortly after we left. Someone is framing him, and my guess is that they're going to kill him to ensure he takes the fall for this."

Captain Maynard was silent; everyone staring at her.

Eddie couldn't take it and stepped forward, his voice cracking as he began to plead. "Please, I know… I know you know he's not the arsonist. I know you know he's innocent. He's my best friend and the love of my life, and he's missing, and… we need to find him. Please."

Something flickered across her face, and she said, "All right, but we're keeping this quiet. Detective Chambers is in a taskforce meeting right now, probably stuck in a loop of trying to prove that Evan Buckley is the arsonist despite the wealth of evidence proving that he isn't. You can bring in Detective Romero, and you can have access to their evidence. Do you know who the arsonist is?"

"No," Athena replied, "but we have two people we want to interview. The first is Eric Murphy, who was one of the firefighters at the apartment building. He's the one who escaped and left Eddie for dead. He's the only person with a grudge that seems to fit the bill."

"Our other potential suspect is a man who lives in Buck's apartment building," Marcia added. "He's not a firefighter, but they've had a run-in with him and it's worth following the lead, just in case."

"What kind of a run-in?" Captain Maynard asked curiously.

"He asked Buck out for a drink, and Buck didn't say no at first, and then he found out that I was his boyfriend, and… it turned ugly," Eddie explained. "Buck doesn't like to say no to people. He gets flustered."

"He's a genuinely decent person," Chief Alonzo spoke up. "He was caught up in the tsunami and saved over a dozen people. He's had his share of trouble with the Department but I honestly consider him one of our finest firefighters. You tell me what you need from me, and I'll get it for you."

Captain Maynard nodded at him. "All right. What I need is every piece of information about Eric Murphy that you have. Athena, you and Detective Romero are going to interview him face-to-face. Let's find out what he knows."

~

A few things happened in quick succession – the first was that Athena and Detective Romero interviewed Buck's neighbour, Aaron, who had airtight alibis for almost all of the fires, and was completely indignant that he might've been involved. They scratched him off the suspect list immediately, and Eddie made a mental note to move Buck out of his apartment building.

By the time Athena and Detective Romero returned to the station, it was after 2pm, and Detective Chambers had returned from his taskforce meeting. He instantly spotted Athena and Detective Romero join everyone in the Captain's office and close the door, and Eddie was watching through the window as he made a phone call from his desk, and then stormed over to confront them.

"I'll handle this," Captain Maynard said to the group. When Detective Chambers knocked, she invited him in, rising from her desk.

He stomped into the room, hitching his pants up around his beer gut, and said, "What the hell is going on in here? A separate taskforce?"

"No," Captain Maynard replied. "You're still working your investigation. Evan Buckley went missing today, and we're trying to find him."

Detective Chambers' eyebrows flew up. "Missing," he clarified. "That's why you didn't turn up for our meeting this morning, Marcia? Because your boy has done a runner?"

Marcia arched a disinterested eyebrow at him, and looked away.

"He's a missing person," Captain Maynard said sharply. "He's not been charged with a crime. If you don't have anything to offer, you can leave."

"He's our number one suspect. If he's missing, it should be a part of our investigation," Detective Chambers argued. "He's obviously made a run for it. Our taskforce is more than capable of handling this."

Captain Maynard narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you telling me what to do?"

Detective Chambers backed down instantly. "No, ma'am. I just think… you know, to keep the lines of communication open, we should combine forces."

"No offence, Detective Chambers, but this is the first time you've made any attempt at communicating with us," Athena said dryly.

He turned to her furiously. "You know what, Athena? I'm sick of having to deal with your shit. You're a Field Sergeant, not a Detective. I don't answer to you, and it's about time you start showing me some respect."

Athena shrugged. "I'll pass on that."

Detective Chambers went bright red, gesturing to her wildly. "See? Aren't you going to discipline her?"

Captain Maynard said, "No. We're done here, Ronald. Get back to work."

Detective Chambers spluttered, before finally throwing his hands up angrily and then storming out of the room. The door slammed shut, and they all let out a collective breath.

"We're going to interview Eric Murphy," Athena said. "I'm taking Eddie with me."

Eddie glanced at her with surprise. "Me?"

"You've already had a run-in with him. You two have a history and I want to see what happens when he's confronted with it."

Bobby stepped forward. "Athena, I don't know about this. Eddie's got Christopher to think about; he's already lost Buck…"

"I know that," she replied. "I just think it would be helpful to have him there with me when I speak to Eric."

Bobby just shook his head at Eddie, who said, "Cap, I won't do anything stupid. I promise. I know this guy. Maybe me turning up will rattle him; I don't know."

"Okay, but… maybe I'm overreacting, but I want to put Eddie in a bulletproof vest. Just in case," he said to Athena, who nodded at him.

"Whatever you want," she said. "Eddie, let's go."

~

Eric Murphy lived in a rundown apartment building in North Hollywood, with rusting cars parked out front and a dead palm tree that was leaning over a sagging fence. Eddie followed Athena through the carpark and up a flight of stairs to the second floor, and halfway along came to Eric's apartment.

Athena knocked on the door and took a step back. She was still in her civilian clothes, but like Eddie, was wearing a bulletproof vest under her jacket.

The door yanked open. "Door Dash?" a woman asked – she had badly dyed blonde hair, little to no make-up, and was wearing a ratty flannel shirt and jeans. She looked vaguely familiar, but Eddie couldn't quite place her.

Athena, however, recognised her instantly – he could tell from the way her eyebrows lifted. "No," she said. "We're looking for someone. Is Eric Murphy here?"

"Yeah, he's here," she replied, disappointed. "Eric! There are people here to see you."

"Jess, if it's the fucking landlord again, just tell him I'll give him the money on Thursday," he called from somewhere in the depths of the apartment.

"Nah, it's a lady and a hot dude."

Eddie's brain was ticking over rapidly, as he tried to place where he recognised the woman from. She turned back to them with a smile and an apologetic shrug, and suddenly it hit him.

She was the missing woman. She was Jessica Phillips, the woman he'd been searching for in the apartment fire when the floor collapsed from under him. She was the one that everyone presumed was dead, but they'd never found her body – of course not, when she was _alive_ , and apparently living with Eric Murphy, the man who had left Eddie for dead. After all, he'd seen her at the burger place that night with Buck, and now she was _here._ Alive.

It all made sense. He hadn't abandoned Eddie because he was scared – he'd left him behind because he was smuggling her out the back, and now they were living together?

Eddie kept his face blank, but beside him, he could tell Athena had pieced it together as well. When Eric appeared at the door and realised who was waiting, his face fell, and Athena immediately held up her badge and said, "Eric, we need to talk."

"Fuck," he said, and raked his hand through his hair. "Yeah. Okay."

He let them into the apartment, which was surprisingly tidy, and Eddie sat beside Athena on a ratty couch. Eric took a seat in the armchair across from them, and Jessica began to pace back and forth in the small dining room behind the living area.

"So," Athena said. "You're the one who has been hiding Jessica Phillips for weeks."

He sighed. "Yeah."

"You want to tell me why?"

Eric looked over at her. She was on the verge of tears, and before he could speak, she said hoarsely, "You have no idea what I've been through. My husband was a monster and Eric was just trying to help me!"

"Ma'am, there's a thing called divorce," Athena said dryly. "There are support networks for battered women. You had plenty of options."

"I needed him to think I was dead," she retorted. "And now he does."

Athena paused, and then said, "Does that mean you burned down your apartment building?"

"It wasn't meant to burn down; it was meant to just… like, make the alarms go off so everyone would evacuate, and then Eric would sneak me out the back," she said tearfully.

"But the place wasn't up to code and the fire got out control," Eddie guessed, "and by the time you got back upstairs to your apartment, you realised you'd made a mistake."

She nodded, her lips trembling. "I was scared my kids would die."

"Not to mention the other tenants of the building," Athena said sharply, "who have all had their homes and lives destroyed because of your selfish actions. Nobody died, thank god, but they very easily could've. And you," she said to Eric, who flinched. "You left Eddie behind to die."

Eric sighed. "I had to get her out. I love her. She was in a bad situation, and I had to rescue her." He turned to Eddie, trying to appeal to him. "You get that, right? I had to do it, man. I'm sorry I left you behind. I didn't think the floor would collapse. The place was in okay shape when I left."

Eddie just shook his head at him. He understood, but it wasn't something he could forgive. "You nearly took me away from my son," he said simply. "I have someone too. You don't get it."

Eric swallowed hard. "I really am sorry."

"Right." Athena shook her head in disgust. "Both of you are coming with me, but that's not why we're here. Eric, you need to tell me where you were for all of the other suspicious fires around town – I want alibis."

Something that looked a lot like fear flashed across Eric's face. "I swear to god, it wasn't me," he said instantly.

"Well, your girlfriend has just confessed to lighting the apartment fire, and you're a firefighter – it stands to reason that you lit the rest of the fires to cover your tracks," Athena said.

He was shaking his head vehemently. "No, I swear to god. We had nothing to do with the rest of the fires. We just… needed to get her to safety, and… make it look like an accident."

"I'm not sure I believe you," Athena said archly. "If I find out that you're responsible for the abduction of Evan Buckley—"

"Whoa, whoa!" Eric exclaimed desperately. "No! Buck's missing? No, we have nothing to do with it, I swear!"

"Tell her," Jessica hissed at him, and Eric looked up at her anxiously. "You have to tell her." They stared at each other. Jessica wiped tears from her eyes and said, "I'll be okay."

Eric seemed to steel himself, and turned to Athena. "If I tell you everything I know, does that mean I cooperated with the police? And… you'll go easier on us? Both of us?"

Athena leaned in close. "Everything you know about the arsonist?"

He nodded. "Everything. I'll sign anything you want. I know who it is."

"You better not be bullshitting us," Eddie said fiercely. "Buck has been abducted, man – and this guy is gonna kill him. You love her, well, I love him. So don't fucking lie to me."

Eric shook his head, licking his lips. "I'm not lying," he said. "I can tell you everything. I just want some reassurance that you'll go easy on us."

"If I call my Captain and she gives you that reassurance, you'll speak to us right now and tell us everything you know," Athena clarified. "We can't waste time on this."

"Everything," he promised. "I swear."

Athena called Captain Maynard, who made a deal with Eric over the phone – if he was honest with them, and his evidence led to the arrest of the arsonist, Jessica Phillips would be given a plea deal for her part in burning down the apartment building. He agreed to it, and with Captain Maynard, Detective Romero, Bobby and Captain Alonzo listening in, Eric began to tell his side of the story.

"It started after the train derailment," he said. Jessica settled in beside him, taking his hand. "We weren't called to the scene, but the Chief turned up at our station and showed us the news footage. We watched Evan Buckley do a rope rescue on the side of the upturned train; cutting a hole through the steel and extracting a victim. Cameron Taylor said to me, god, he gets all the glory. It's not fair. And I said, that's not really what it's about."

"Cameron Taylor," Athena said, glancing at Eddie, who was stunned - he'd never suspected him, not for a second. "Who is that?"

"My former partner at the 122," Eric replied. "In the last year he's been angry, frustrated… every time we go to a scene, he just wants… I don't know, to be like an action hero or something. He just wants to be a superstar. And then… right at the start of summer, right when the wildfires began, it's like… his whole personality changed. I don't know how to explain it. I thought he was doing better, because he seemed happy. Like… he'd found something to make him happy. And then one day I went to his house, and I found photos of fires. Fires that we'd attended. I confronted him with them and said, what are these, why do you have these, and he told me that it was his outlet. That lighting fires and putting them out made him feel good. Worthwhile."

"So why didn't you tell your Captain?" Athena asked.

He shook his head. "I didn't tell him because… Cameron knows about Jessica. He knew I was trying to save her from her husband. He used it against me. He was the one who suggested burning down the building, and we ran with it… and Eddie nearly died," he said, heaving a sigh. "And her kids nearly died. And… I lost my job, and my wife took the kids. We live here now. I thought I should tell someone but he threatened me and said that he'd pin it all on her. That he'd make it look like I was setting the fires, to save her… I don't know. I was scared; I panicked."

"But the lawsuit you were talking about," Eddie said. "You were going to sue the Department."

Eric shrugged. "I was so freaked out to see you at that restaurant that… I thought you'd recognise her, so I was a dick. I'm sorry. We shouldn't have been out and about but it's not like it's the most popular place in town, and… you guys were there. I thought I'd deflect any attention from her. I was never going to file a lawsuit. I got fired for a damn good reason."

"So you're one hundred percent certain that Cameron Taylor is responsible for all of the fires, including the one at the Warehouse Oblique," Athena clarified.

He nodded. "Yes ma'am. As soon as that place went up, I knew it was him. He talked about it a lot. I always thought he had a twisted sense of humour, but… he was being serious. He was always jealous of Buck… always. You guys get a lot of glory," he said to Eddie, who nodded. "And… that's all he wants. Recognition."

"Well," Athena said, sharing a look with Eddie. "Let's go pay Mr Taylor a visit."

~~

The door to the basement banged open, and Cameron descended the stairs. "Okay," he said to Buck, wiping his hands. "I've just about got everything sorted. You good here?"

"Can I ask you a question?" Buck asked. "Are you convinced you're going to get away with this? Because… they know you've abducted me. There were security cameras at that house. They'll have the footage."

Cameron stared at him, stunned, like he'd never considered the possibility before. "No. Really? There were?"

"Yeah, it was a safe house," Buck said emphatically. "Dude… you fucked up. They're not going to stop looking for you, even if you kill me. They're going to keep hunting you down."

He gritted his teeth, staring at the floor. "Fuck."

"And California still has the death penalty; I know they don't execute anyone, but… you did kill fifty people," Buck pointed out. "And me, as well, I guess. Like, you could've left town, dude. You could've done literally anything other than trying to pin it on me and you probably would've gotten away with it, but… you were petty and you fucked up."

Cameron suddenly slapped him again, hard, and when Buck recovered and met his eyes again, he was rewarded with a kick to the mid-section. His chair skidded back and tipped over, and he landed heavily on the floor, the wind knocked out of him.

"Fuck!" Cameron screamed, kicking him again. "Fuck! Fuck!"

It suddenly occurred to Buck that he'd fucked up – Cameron was furious, and there was nothing he could do to deflect his blows. He couldn't even turn his head to the side, and when Cameron's fist came down hard on the side of his head, he blacked out instantly.

* * *

_With Buckley unconscious, Cameron quickly undid his bonds and left him lifeless on the floor – still alive, still breathing, but not for long._

_Maybe they did have footage or not, but he was confident that Detective was so inept that he'd pin it on Buckley regardless. He was going to skip town, sure, but… he was pretty confident that his plan had worked out exactly as he intended, and Evan Buckley would go down in history as the worst arsonist in Los Angeles history._

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter - we're almost there!

An army of police vehicles descended upon Cameron Taylor's house in San Bernadino. It was a lowset brick place, very clean and tidy from the outside. Eddie was beside Athena in her police cruiser, and immediately recognised the grey sedan parked in front of the house.

"That car was at my house," he said to Athena, his blood turning to ice. "He was watching us at my house!"

Athena nodded, turning to face him. "Listen to me, Eddie. You're staying in this car. Do not leave this car until I say so, all right?" she ordered him, and he nodded quickly. "Good." Athena leapt out, and strode over to join Detective Romero. They marched up to the house, knocking on the front door once before busting it open.

Eddie watched as a stream of police officers entered the building, anxious, praying that Cameron was inside. He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and happened to glance down the street as a familiar figure exited a blue house and stood on the lawn, peering down the street at the police cars.

_Cameron._

_Mother fucker._

Eddie's blood turned to ice as he realised that they were at the wrong house, and without thinking about it, he opened the car door and hopped out, striding purposefully down the street. Cameron had disappeared, but the front door was open, and just as he started up the driveway, Cameron suddenly exited the house again, as the acrid smell of smoke filled the air.

They locked eyes, and Cameron stopped abruptly, wiping his hands on his jeans, leaving dark red stains behind. Blood stains.

Buck's blood?

Furious, Eddie stormed up the path towards him. "Where is he?" he shouted. "Where the fuck is he?!"

Cameron didn't answer – he tried to sprint away, but Eddie was faster, and crash-tackled him to the ground. They struggled, rolling over on the grass, and when Cameron tried to punch him, Eddie was able to dodge it and throw one of his own, cracking his nose.

"Where's Buck?" he shouted, pulling his fist back again. "Where the fuck is he?!"

"Eddie!" Athena screamed from the street, and suddenly he was descended upon by a group of police officers, and Detective Romero physically hauled him away.

Eddie broke out of his grasp and raced into the burning house – smoke was billowing out the front door, and he shouted Buck's name as he searched the first floor. "Buck! Buck, are you here? Can you hear me? _BUCK!_ "

~~

Buck was still in the basement, on the floor – untied, but his head was swimming and his body ached. Cameron had lit a fire somewhere upstairs and smoke was beginning to fill the room.

He tried to pull himself up, coughing, trying to see an exit through the thick black smoke, but it was like he was underwater. He'd never felt so out of it, like he couldn't control his arms and legs. He just wanted to lie back down and go to sleep, forever.

He was going to die down here, he realised, eyes trained on the vent near the basement stairs, smoke pouring from its slats. Cameron had set it up so he would die in the basement, and they would find his charred body, and he'd never see Eddie or Christopher again.

And even though his vision kept cutting in and out, he began to cry, crawling to the stairs, knowing that the door was locked and he was trapped. He tried to pull himself onto his hands and knees but he was so dizzy and disoriented that he collapsed to the floor again, smoke filling his lungs.

"Eddie," he said, tears streaming down his face. "Eddie! Eddie, I love you! I love you, Eddie! I've always loved you! I'm sorry! Eddie, _I'm sorry!_ "

~~

Eddie heard his name being screamed through one of the vents on the first floor, desperately trying to open the basement door, but it was jammed shut. Athena charged into the house via the back door, a scrap of material over her mouth, holding a crowbar.

"Here," she said, coughing violently.

"Go outside," he ordered her. "Go. I'll get him. He's down here – if you find the external stairs, we'll come out that way."

She nodded, and exited out into the yard. Fire was roaring upstairs and in the living room, creeping into the kitchen, cutting off his access to the front.

Eddie jammed the crowbar into the doorjamb and levered it until it popped open, and then stormed down the stairs into the basement. There was his love, face down on the floor, one hand extended to the stairs. The basement was thick with smoke, and Buck was unconscious.

"Buck!" Eddie shouted, dropping to his knees beside him. His lungs were burning and he could hardly breathe, but he had to get them out. "Buck?"

Buck was non-responsive. Thick, red blood stained his hair and dripped down his face. He'd been beaten, pretty badly, and all Eddie could do was press a quick kiss to his lips and search for the basement exit. Just as he'd located it, the doors were flung open, and daylight filled the murky room.

"Come on," he said to Buck, hooking his hands under his arms and physically dragging him across the room. His ribs were screaming, but he kept going, dragging Buck over and up the stairs, until they both emerged into the sunshine.

Athena and Detective Romero helped him drag Buck away from the house and into the backyard. Detective Romero immediately took off at a sprint, calling for an ambulance, and Eddie gulped in fresh air, before checking Buck's pulse.

"Okay, he's got a pulse, he just needs some oxygen. He's got a serious head injury, looks like he's been beaten… maybe broken bones. I'm not sure." Eddie turned Buck onto his side, checking to make sure his airways were open, when Buck suddenly coughed and opened his eyes. "Hey," Eddie said to him, on the verge of tears. "Hey, baby. You're okay. I got you out; you're okay."

"Eddie," Buck wheezed.

"Ambulance is here," Athena said to him, kneeling beside Buck. "Hey Buckaroo. Hang in there. You're going to be okay."

The faintest of smiles appeared on Buck's face. Eddie brushed his fingers through his hair, looking up as two paramedics hurried towards him.

"Smoke inhalation," Eddie said to them. "He's been beaten, and he has a serious head injury."

"Okay, we've got it from here," the woman said to him, and he stood, taking a few deep breaths. They hooked Buck up to some oxygen and loaded him onto a backboard, carrying him out to the front yard.

Eddie trailed after them, glancing over to see Athena shoving Cameron into the back of her squad car. She locked eyes with him, shaking her head, letting out a breath, and he nodded at her before following Buck into the ambulance.

~~

Buck awoke in a hospital bed. He was wearing a nasal cannula and connected to an IV, and his entire body ached. He could feel another bandage wrapped around his head, and lifted his hand to touch it.

"Hey," Eddie whispered, taking his hand and leaning over the bed. "Hi."

Buck relaxed instantly. "You found me," he said, startled at how hoarse his voice was.

"I got so fucking lucky," Eddie whispered in a voice full of emotion, leaning in to kiss him tenderly. "So fucking lucky."

"How'd you find me?"

Eddie kissed him again, stroking his cheek lovingly, and said, "I happened to look down the street as he walked out of the house. He had you in the basement of an empty house down the street from the house he owns."

"Why were you there?" Buck asked, confused. "How did you know?"

"Eric Murphy told us it was Cameron. It's a whole thing," Eddie said, "but we found you. Athena let me tag along with her." He dragged his chair closer, gently taking Buck's left hand in his, and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "I've been looking for you all day. Are you okay?"

Buck nodded, closing his eyes briefly. "Sore, but I'm okay… I thought I was going to die."

Eddie nodded, his lips trembling. "I was so scared, but I found you. I've got your back."

Buck actually managed a smile. "I know you do," he said tiredly. "I'm not going to go to jail now, right?"

Eddie shook his head. "No, I think your name has well and truly been cleared. Athena and Marcia pretty much singlehandedly saved the day. Athena told me not too long ago that Detective Chambers is pretty pissed off about how it all played out."

"That old prick."

"Yep. Time for retirement, I think." Eddie kissed his fingers again.

"Eric, though?" he asked. "How? Why?"

"He left me in the apartment building because he was rescuing the mother of those kids," Eddie explained. "They're in love, and he's been hiding her since the fire. Cameron was kinda blackmailing him about it, because Eric knew he was the arsonist. So he told us everything he knew in exchange for a lesser sentence for them, but… she'll be charged; I don't know if he will."

"Jesus," Buck murmured. "Wow. Okay."

"Yeah, it's been a really big day," Eddie said, leaning in to stroke his cheek. "But we're okay."

"Can we not have anything dramatic happen ever again?"

"Sure. I'll do you one better – we're getting out of town for a week. The Chief has given us both paid time off, up to a month if we want to take it. So I'm thinking we find us a nice cabin right on Lake Tahoe and go to ground for a week, what do you say?"

"Does Christopher know about this?"

"He will; my aunt is bringing him to the hospital to see you." Eddie leaned over him again, brushing his fingers through his hair. "I love you, and I'm sorry you went through this today, but your name has been cleared and the Chief is going to make sure the media only talks about what a hero you are. And I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again."

Buck smiled up at him. "That might be difficult."

"Nope." Eddie leaned in to kiss him again. "Not difficult at all. Looking forward to it."

~~

When Buck had a roomful of visitors – Christopher, Pepa, Maddie, Chimney and Hen – Bobby finally coerced Eddie into leaving his side, and he went out to the waiting room where Marcia and Athena were waiting.

"Good news," Marcia said brightly. "Captain Maynard has just appeared on television giving an update to the situation and completely clearing Buck's name. They will also be issuing a full apology, but, most importantly – and I would be willing to help you out in this regard – Buck can sue them."

"Oh god," Bobby said, rubbing his forehead.

Athena shook her head at Marcia. "That's the good news?"

"It's good news for Buck, and for me. I'd be willing to take the case for a friends and family discount," she said, winking at Eddie. "I like these two. They're plucky."

Bobby chuckled. "They are, but they're also not litigious. Right, Eddie?"

Eddie shrugged. "I don't know, I'm feeling kinda pissed off, so we'll see. Buck will probably say no."

Athena shook her head at him good-naturedly. "All right. Listen – we've searched Cameron's house, and have irrefutable evidence that he is the arsonist. He'll be going to jail for a long, long time."

"And Eric Murphy and Jessica Phillips have been detained as well, but no decisions have been made," Marcia said. "Honestly, I'm not sure what they can charge him with, but she should be charged with burning down the building. It was millions of dollars in property damage."

"So you and Buck will probably be called up as witnesses more than once," Athena said to him, "and you need to be prepared for that. And you'll need to give your statements, but there's no rush."

"If you want to leave town for a week when Buck is released, you can do that," Bobby said gently. "All of this stuff will take time to process. When you come back, you're both going into therapy, and that's non-negotiable, Eddie. I know how much you hate it but I need you to do this for me."

He nodded. "Okay. Whatever you want. We're good here, right? We can really go away and we're not going to get in trouble?"

"No," Marcia said, and handed him her card. "But you two talk it over."

"Marcia," Athena warned.

"I would be remiss if I didn't at least give him the option," she said sharply, and both women glared at each other.

Bobby glanced at Eddie and murmured, "I preferred it when they were on the same side."

~~

Upon his release from hospital, Eddie wasted no time bundling Buck into his car and heading out of the city. Christopher was settled into the backseat with his iPad, headphones and a few books, and Buck was in the front passenger seat, covered with a blanket and a pillow tucked behind his head.

Eddie was fussing over him, but he didn't have it in him to protest or be bothered by it. They headed north on the highway, stopping every so often for snacks or at beauty spots, before beginning the climb to the lake. Eddie fobbed Buck off any time he suggested that he drive, and so he dozed for a while, still wiped out from his stay in hospital.

Eddie was a man on a mission. They were staying close to Emerald Bay, and the first thing Eddie did when they arrive was to check them into their Airbnb – an A-frame cabin with lakefront views. They'd stopped for some groceries along the way, so while Buck and Christopher explored their cabin and unpacked, Eddie set about cooking their dinner on the grill, which was on the porch at the back of the house, overlooking the water.

When Christopher was in bed, Eddie led Buck out to a hammock, strung up between two enormous pine trees. He climbed in first, and Buck slid in after him, resting his head on Eddie's chest, listening to the water lapping at the shoreline.

"You okay?" Eddie asked him, running his hand up and down Buck's back.

Buck nodded. "I'm good. This was a great idea."

"I'm full of them. Have you been here before?"

"No, first time. Why'd you pick it?"

"I just thought… we needed to get away from noise for a while. And you know how much Christopher loved the lake at his camp, so… I thought this might be good. And honestly, I just want to take care of you for a while. Like you took care of me after the fire."

Buck slid his hand over Eddie's chest. "When's your next x-ray?"

"When we get back. The doctor thinks I'll be good to go back to work."

"The Chief has given us a month off."

"Yeah, and I plan on taking it." Eddie brushed his lips against Buck's forehead. "Listen… we're going to have to talk about everything that happened when we get back, with the police and Frank, most probably… so if you don't want to talk about it while we're here, that's okay. I know it must have been pretty traumatic—"

Buck shook his head, propping himself up. "No, I'm okay," he said, as Eddie gazed at him with concern. "Yeah, I was scared, and… I was probably going to die, if you hadn't turned up when you did."

Eddie nodded, rubbing the back of Buck's neck.

"But… it's kind of a weird thing because… I know it happened to me, and I lived it, but… until he began beating the crap out of me, I didn't really think I was going to die." He took a deep breath, pausing for a moment, flashing back to his panic as the room filled with smoke. "And then I woke up in that room, and I could hardly breathe… and I just said my goodbyes to you."

"I heard you," Eddie whispered, his lips pressed to Buck's cheek. "And I found you. You're okay. We're going to be okay."

"I heard you in the apartment building," Buck whispered. "Even though I thought I was dying, I still… called for you, because… you're my partner."

"And I would never stop looking for you," Eddie whispered in his ear.

"No. I love you, Eddie."

"I love you too, Buck."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Eddie chuckled. "You're going to. It's non-negotiable."

Buck snuggled against him, comfortable and safe. "I never thought us sleeping together would lead to this, you know… I kinda thought it was just a phase for you."

"I knew it wasn't," Eddie admitted. "I knew I wanted more. I just didn't know how to ask for it."

"And we'll have to deal with everything – your parents, my parents…"

"That can wait." Eddie kissed his cheek, rubbing his chest. "For now, let's just be happy that we're both here, and we're safe."

Buck stroked his fingers along Eddie's arm and murmured, "This was a really good idea."

"I can't take all the credit for it. Maddie told me that we should go on a trip to get away from everything for a while, and she was right."

"But you'll have to go back to El Paso. I could come with you?"

Eddie nodded. "You'll come with me. I hope you're ready for that."

"As long as I’m with you, I'm ready for anything."

* * *

**Epilogue**

Their week at Lake Tahoe culminated in a visit to El Paso, which wasn't the easiest thing either of them had ever experienced. Eddie's parents were upset with him, and tensions boiled over multiple times, but by the end of it, they'd seemed to come to an uneasy agreement about everything. Ramon even shook Buck's hand before they left, and both Buck and Eddie were hopeful about the future.

On their return to Los Angeles, they immediately sat down for extensive interviews with the police. Marcia was with them every step of the way, but Detective Romero was the lead on the case, and so everything went as smoothly as it could. Buck received a formal apology from the LAPD, but his name had already been cleared in the press by the time he and Eddie returned to Los Angeles. Chief Alonzo had done a media blitz in their absence, and Eddie's Abuela had saved all the newspaper clippings for them to read.

As long as his name wasn't being dragged through the mud, he was happy.

They spent the rest of their time off going to therapy, and returned to a hero's welcome at the 118 on their first day back at work. For the first time in months their lives were back to normal, and Buck felt like he could breathe easily again.

~

Cameron ultimately ended up pleading guilty – life imprisonment, with no chance of parole, but no death penalty. His plea meant that Buck and Eddie didn't have to give any further evidence, but they watched the news reports with the rest of the team as Cameron was sentenced to multiple life sentences in prison, and was led away, never to see the outside world again.

Eric Murphy escaped jail time, but Jessica Phillips accepted a plea deal for burning down the apartment building and was given a lesser sentence. She only had to serve a few months in jail, and was released just before Christmas – and Marcia arranged a lawyer for her to take on her case against her ex-husband. They later found out her children had been returned to her as primary caregiver.

Two years had gone by when a familiar face strode purposefully into the 118 one day – Taylor Kelly, now with a successful true crime series on Netflix, wanting to interview Buck, Eddie and the rest of the 118 for an episode of her show. They'd been notified by the Chief that she was going to stop by, but it was up to Buck and Eddie as to whether they wanted to be interviewed.

Buck watched from the balcony as she greeted Bobby, shaking his hand like they were old friends. Eddie was scowling on the couch, munching on popcorn, his eyes trained on the TV.

"You're not going to agree to this, are you?" Hen asked Buck, leaning on the railing beside him.

He shrugged. "I mean, it's a pretty good show. I've watched it. Eddie doesn't like it."

"No," came Eddie's grumble.

"Full of twists and turns though," Chimney said, abandoning the pinball machine in favour of annoying Eddie by blocking the television. "And Buck looks good on TV."

"Thank you," Buck said, preening a little.

Eddie sighed. "I know he does, but I don't want to be on TV. And I don't want him to do it either."

"Just because he's your husband doesn't mean you can control him," Hen teased him.

"I'm not controlling him! I'm allowed to say if I don't want something."

Buck shrugged. "I don't want to go on TV either. People still recognise me occasionally."

"Yeah, and you hate it," Eddie pointed out. "Especially when young women come up to you and tell you that they always knew you were innocent because you were too hot."

Hen was grinning at Buck, who was trying not to laugh. "And then they get scared off when you snap at them that I'm your husband."

"Yeah, well. Got the rings tattooed on for a reason, you know."

Bobby and Taylor Kelly finished their discussion and headed over to the stairs. Buck wandered over to sit beside Eddie, who shifted closer to him and took his hand. They shared a long look, and Buck whispered, "We're not doing it; it's okay."

Eddie nodded, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Buck's shoulder.

"Wow, it's been a long time!" Taylor exclaimed. "Hi Hen; Hi Chimney – wow, you guys look great. So nice to see you again."

Buck shifted in his seat, turning to watch as she shook their hands and pretended to be excited when Chimney pulled out his phone to show her his kids. Eddie flicked the TV off, playing with Buck's fingers, steadfastly refusing to look over at her.

"Here they are," Bobby said to her. "You can pose the question to them yourself."

"Well, it's a question to all of you, really, as you were all involved," she said, stepping over to the couch. "Hi Buck. Looking good."

"You too. Eddie's my husband," he said, holding up his left hand. "Just so we're clear."

"Oh, I'm not hitting on you. I've got a couple of boyfriends of my own." Taylor perched on the edge of the armchair, her eyes trained on Eddie. "Good to see you though, Eddie."

He rolled his eyes and didn't respond.

"You still hate me, huh?"

"No," Buck said, nudging Eddie affectionately. "He just doesn't trust reporters."

"Well, you can trust me. I've gone legit," she said, raising her eyebrows at them. "And boy, have I got an offer for you – an hour-long Netflix special about the LA Firebug, featuring interviews with Cameron Taylor, Ronald Chambers, Marcia Gibson, Eric Murphy, Jessica Phillips – and my star firefighters of the 118. You guys."

"No," Eddie said flatly.

Taylor ignored him, appealing directly to Buck. "You'd get to tell your story for the first time in your words – how they tried to frame you, how that made you feel—"

"Here's a quote – it made me feel like shit," Buck said bluntly. "And it nearly ruined my life, so no, I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to be associated with it anymore. It was two years ago, and Eddie and I have moved on. You should too."

"But don't you want—"

"No," he said bluntly. "I don't want to be on TV. I want to do my job and go home with my husband to our son. That's it. Sorry."

"Buck and Eddie try to stay as low-profile as possible, Taylor," Bobby said. "Buck was targeted because of how high profile he is; he doesn't want that anymore. No recognition. No awards. He just does his job and goes home."

"We both do," Eddie spoke up. "Because that's not what this job is about."

Taylor sighed. "Money? Do you want money?" she asked with high eyebrows. "Like… Netflix money?"

"No."

"Aw, come on, Buck—"

"I think he's made himself clear," Bobby said from above them. "You had your chance to make your case, and he said no. That's it. None of us want to re-live this."

Buck shrugged at her. "Sorry. And you know what? You shouldn't be doing this anyway. Cameron Taylor only wants fame and recognition for everything he's done – you're playing right into his hand. The man killed fifty innocent people. You should just let this one go."

Taylor gave him a sketpical look, and shook her head. "No, I'm good. I already knew the answer would be no, but I had to try. As soon as I found out you were married to Eddie, I knew there was no way he'd let it happen."

Eddie threw his hands up, frustrated. "I'm not controlling him. He can do what he wants, and he doesn't want to do this. If Buck wanted to do your show, I'd back him. Jesus Christ."

"You don't get it," Buck said to her, leaning forward. "He targeted me because of Eddie. Because I went back to save his life; because all the news reports of the apartment fire showed was us leaping to safety. That's why. I'm not going to put us through that again, the scrutiny? And you know there'd be scrutiny, even now. It's better for us to just move on with our lives and not talk about it anymore. You get that, right?"

"No," she replied honestly. "But I respect you enough to walk away. I'll give your captain my card; if you change your mind, you let me know."

"We're good," Buck said. "Good luck with the show."

"Luck? I don't need luck – they've greenlit seasons two and three," she said with a laugh. "See you around, Buck. You too, Eddie. What a delight you are."

Eddie ignored her, flicking the TV on again.

Once she was gone, Chimney said to Buck, "You turned down a lot of money there, you know."

"Don't need money." Buck bumped his shoulder against Eddie's, and said, "Besides, we've still got that sweet payout from the LAPD."

"And I told people you weren't litigious," Bobby said from the kitchen.

"Yeah, well… Marcia had a slam-dunk case, and we're what, going to tell her no? You know she invites herself over for dinner occasionally, right?"

"Two years and you're still not rid of her," Hen laughed. "I think she's here to stay."

"She likes us," Eddie said, his eyes trained on the TV. "Her girlfriend is a teacher at Christopher's school – for the younger grades. They're kinda like opposites attract."

"I think it's better to be friends with lawyers than an enemy," Buck added. "You never know when we might need her again."

"Don't say that, Buck," Bobby warned. "We've just passed two years with no incidents; we're keeping it that way."

"He rolled his ankle two months ago, that was an incident," Chimney pointed out.

Buck turned on the couch so he was facing them. "Did I go to hospital? No. Was the media called? No. It's not an incident. It doesn't count!"

"Give it time, Buckley," Chimney called, joining Bobby at the kitchen bench. "Just give it time."

Buck gave him the finger.

~

That night, after Christopher was asleep, Buck flopped onto the bed beside Eddie and heaved a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Eddie asked, immediately setting down his iPad and moving so he was leaning over Buck. "Everything okay?"

"I think I ate too much. Tummy ache."

"Aw." Eddie brushed his lips against Buck's, and rubbed his belly in smooth, slow circles. "I thought that extra quesadilla was pushing it."

"You just make them so well." Buck smiled up at him.

"I'm a really good cook, Buck. You know this." Eddie leaned over to kiss him again, brushing their noses together lightly. When he sat up again he said, "And um… I'm really glad you didn't want to do that show."

Buck nodded. "I just… want to forget about it. It's been nice not thinking about it."

"Yeah." Eddie shifted so he was lying beside him, his head on Buck's shoulder, still rubbing his stomach. "I'm kinda hoping our days of having to save each other from life or death situations are over."

"I don't know, I did roll my ankle a couple of months ago."

Eddie chuckled. "Yeah, well… you need to watch where you put your feet."

"I was looking at your butt," Buck whispered.

"I know. I can always tell." Eddie smiled at him. "Best thing I ever did was kissing you that night. Best move I ever made."

"I liked the one about half an hour after that, when you got on your knees and—"

"Okay," Eddie said with a laugh, shaking his head affectionately. "All right."

Buck slid his arm around Eddie's shoulders and said, "But I'd save you every day, if I had to. You're my favourite person. I'd go through all of that again, for you."

Eddie nodded at him. "Me too."

"But I really hope we don't have to."

He laughed again. "Me too."

Buck kissed his forehead, holding him close. Eddie's grip tightened on him as well – sometimes, out of nowhere, they'd clutch each other and hold on, a lingering effect of a shared trauma.

And sometimes the acrid smell of smoke would burn Buck's nostrils and he'd flash back to the basement, and his throat would close involuntarily.

And the last time an apartment building was on fire, neither of them could bring themselves to go in – and Bobby didn't push them to do it.

And sometimes he'd see Eddie stop and stare at the ground, as if lost in thought, before lifting his head and searching the room until his eyes landed on Buck, and he'd relax again.

So yeah, it had been two years, and maybe the memories would never truly fade – but they had each other, and they were okay.

~the end~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting along with each update! ❤❤❤

**Author's Note:**

> Special thank you to Kat ([cinematicnomad](https://cinematicnomad.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr) for her invaluable assistance with this fic - I have been working on it for months and without her invaluable assistance I might never have finished it.
> 
> And a further special thank you to [Zee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkreyesevandiaz/pseuds/tkreyesevandiaz) for providing me with additional unconditional support!
> 
> Talk to me @ Tumblr: [woodchoc-magnum](https://woodchoc-magnum.tumblr.com/) \- my inbox is open!


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